Your article – Employers Ignoring Workplace Violence, highlights the tip of a veritable iceberg. Internationally, organisations and employers seem to consistently underestimate the damage that conflict in the workplace causes.
Most violence be it verbal or physical starts with poor communication methods and strategies. If an employee doesn’t know how to express a grievance or what the procedure is for dealing with an issue that concerns them, then that is poor method. If when there is communication the employee is not listened to respectfully and his supervisor or manager is not able to explain the situation in a way that (generally) aids reconciliation then that is poor strategy.
A lack of communication leads to frustration and then (sometimes) to anger and violence. Even in those instances where the frustration does not lead to anger it almost certainly leads to reduced work performance. So the bottom line is that good management is about good communication and good communication is about good organisational performance. Talking is profitable.
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NOTE: Robert Agar-Hutton is an expert on the management of aggression, violence and stress. He is the Managing Director of Protectics Limited and Chair of the International Association of Trainers in Aggression Management.
Your article – Employers Ignoring Workplace Violence, highlights the tip of a veritable iceberg. Internationally, organisations and employers seem to consistently underestimate the damage that conflict in the workplace causes.
Most violence be it verbal or physical starts with poor communication methods and strategies. If an employee doesn’t know how to express a grievance or what the procedure is for dealing with an issue that concerns them, then that is poor method. If when there is communication the employee is not listened to respectfully and his supervisor or manager is not able to explain the situation in a way that (generally) aids reconciliation then that is poor strategy.
A lack of communication leads to frustration and then (sometimes) to anger and violence. Even in those instances where the frustration does not lead to anger it almost certainly leads to reduced work performance. So the bottom line is that good management is about good communication and good communication is about good organisational performance. Talking is profitable.
—
NOTE: Robert Agar-Hutton is an expert on the management of aggression, violence and stress. He is the Managing Director of Protectics Limited and Chair of the International Association of Trainers in Aggression Management.
He can be reached by email at robert@protectics.co.uk and by phone on +44 1582 400111.