7. Developing a Collaborative Culture
Two Key Concepts
• Everyone is creative and
has ideas to improve
productivity and
services
• All employees have the
ability to contribute
ideas.
8. Organizations are human social systems in which
people are strongly influenced by the organizational
culture. Therefore, the most compelling tool for
improvement is cultural change (www.irisolutions.com,
n.d).
9. An agency must develop strong
leaders
• Deliberate approach to quality leadership
development.
• All leaders should believe and implement the
following concepts
– Everyone has valuable information to share.
– Individuals need to know how their work
contributes to the Agency mission.
12. Leadership
• Leadership Starts at the Top
• Executive Director must set the tone and
atmosphere (Executive Team)
• Positive Labor Relations must become a top
priority
• Promote Transparency, through regular
reporting
• Promote Trust
13. Key Management Role
Supervisors
Employees don’t leave their organization, they leave their manager
• Administer and consistently apply the terms of the collective
bargaining agreements
• Know Management rights
• Know legal and contractual rights of employees
• Communicate objectively
• Consistently enforce standards of behavior
• Model desirable behavior
14. Developing a Labor Relations Plan
• Are you satisfied with the current
management/staff relationship?
• Do you spend more time reacting to issues on
addressing targeted areas of focus?
• Do you have a clear understanding of
management goals in labor relations?
• Do you have a clear understanding of
union/staff goals in labor relations?
15. Federal Strategy Model for Labor
Relations
Compliance Strategy
• Enforcement of obligations based
on statute and contract
• Litigious and adversarial in
nature, relies on tools such as
grievance, arbitration and unfair
labor practice filings.
• Clear expectations, little gray
areas to worry about.
• Tools could be used for strategic,
tactical or even personal gain.
Collaboration Strategy
• Focuses on working together for a
common solution
• Interest based communication
• Collaboration tends to increase
the level of trust between groups
• When staff are part of the
solution, they are vested in the
outcome.
• Requires more time commitment
than traditional compliance
17. Systems Model
Allows managers a way to understand their
employees’ importance and position as a vital
system in the organization, as opposed to a
liability or expense.
18. Systems approach to labor relations
• Focus on collaboration
• Interdependence
• Synergy
• Contingency Theory
21. Communication Strategy
• Labor/Management Committees
• Provide Avenues/opportunity for employee feedback
• Generate Joint Communications
• Establish Positive Relationships with Union
Officers/Stewards
• Resolve Disputes Quickly
• Seize every opportunity to talk and listen to your
employees
22. The 4 Principles of IBB
1. Focus on the issues not the
personalities.
22
24. The 4 Principles of IBB
2. Focus on interests not on positions.
24
25. 25
Position vs. Interest
• Focuses on a
particular solution
• Makes a demand
• Draws a line
• Sets up confrontation
• Ends or dampens
discussion
• Focuses on the problem
not a specific answer
• Articulates one of a
range of needs
• Makes no evaluations
• Establishes a climate of
understanding
• Allows the real issue or
problem to be discussed
26. Position:
• One party’s solution to an issue.
–Limits cooperation
–Sets the stage for conflict
26
28. 28
Acknowledge each other’s interests
• Explain your interests. Do not assume
they are understood.
• Pay attention to the interests of
others.
• If you want the other side to
appreciate your interests, demonstrate
that you appreciate and understand
their interests.
29. The 4 Principles of IBB
3. Create options to satisfy the interests.
29
33. I.B.B. IS USEFUL
• For improving the working relationship
between the parties.
• For getting creative solutions to difficult
problems.
• If improving trust is a goal.
• If honestly committed to the process and
willing to educate constituents.
33
34. Planning for Change
• “Look before you Leap”
• Forced vs. Fostered
• Communication
• Providing Appropriate Resources
• Implement the change into your
organizational strategy
39. REFREEZE
• Implement the change into the Culture
• Develop ways to sustain the change
• Provide support and training
• Celebrate success
Editor's Notes
Once an idea is expressed, the individual doesn’t own the idea (aren’t choosing my idea over yours, just which works the best)
In his book Authentic Happiness , Martin Seligman tells the story of being in a hospital at the bedside of a friend in a coma. The Ward Orderly was busy moving paintings and prints around in the room, moving them from one spot to another until they looked just so. When Marty asked what he was doing the Orderly replied: "My job. I'm an orderly here, but you see I'm part of the team responsible for the health of these patients. Even though Mr Miller hasn't been conscious since he arrived, when he does wake up I want to make sure he sees beautiful things right away". The orderly has been able to shift his job into a higher calling - he had shifted it to something more than just a person who was on the end of a broom. He knew he was making a real difference in the work that he did. Did he come to that realization of his own accord, or was it a leader who inspired him to see the import of his work? We don't know the answer to that question, but the question it begs you to ask yourself is, "How can I help my people to create such a positive attitude about the work that they do?".
building a culture that propels growth all starts withyou. It doesn’t all depend on you.
Most of the interactions between labor and management are reactive in nature.
