How to RESOLVE workplace bullying allegations. Letting go of the 'Prove + Punish' approach that doesn't work.

CAOS

How to resolve workplace bullying allegations rather than pursue a ‘prove and punish’ approach that rarely if ever works but which leads to a 'circle of blame' where everyone involved is left dissatisfied - the person who feels bullied, the person accused of bullying and those tasked with managing the bullying allegation.

In this podcast Alan makes reference to his book "How to Resolve Bullying in the Workplace - Stepping Out of the Circle of Blame to Create an Effective Outcome For All' which identifies how more active and self-supporting approaches to any bullying situation can assist all involved in dealing with workplace bullying allegations to create a resolution in the situation and support a return to an effective workplace relationship.

The traditional 'prove and punish' approach means that both the person feeling bullied and the person accused have their situation 'handed over' to a third party to investigate but which inevitably leads to an inconclusive outcome due to the subjective interpretation and assessment of whether bullying has actually occurred. This means that the person who feels bullied also feels unsupported or 'not believed' while the person accused feels as if a 'dark cloud' of association follows them. Both, in turn are likely to blame those who manage the situation for not reaching a clear outcome from using an approach which is fundamentally flawed.

The book outlines the kinds of approach that Alan has seen people involved in entrenched bullying allegation situations use to resolve their difficulty. Sometimes this is with the support of processes like mediation and conflict coaching but in other situations the resolution has been self-created by those involved.

Alan Sharland has been a Mediator and Conflict Coach for over 27 years working in a wide range of dispute situations including neighbour disputes, workplace disputes, complaints (NHS, Special Educational Needs, University Student), group disputes and others. He was Director of a community mediation service in West London for 11 years and now runs CAOS Conflict Management. https://www.caos-conflict-management.co.uk

Connect with Alan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alansharland

If you would like Conflict Coaching via Zoom, please contact Alan via this webpage: https://www.caos-conflict-management.co.uk/conflict-coaching.html

Check out and like the Communication and Conflict Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/communicationandconflict/

Visit the Communication and Conflict website: https://www.communicationandconflict.com

Books and ebooks:

The Simple Effective Skills of Conflict Resolution e-book https://www.communicationandconflict.com/conflict_resolution_skills.html

How to Resolve Bullying in the Workplace: Stepping Out of the Circle of Blame to Create an Effective Outcome for All https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Resolve-Bullying-Workplace-Effective/dp/1511941316

A Guide To Effective Communication for Conflict Resolution - How Mindful Communication Supports Growth Through Conflict. Purchase the book at this link on amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1790335221

CREDITS Outro Music: All Colours Pt 6 by Bob Holroyd, from album Hollowman: https://music.apple.com/us/album/hollowman/677559200