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CASE STUDIES
Case No 1
Personality Clash to Resolution
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Background
Within a large company, one department was experiencing severe personality clashes where there were two supervisors for two sub-divisions of that department. The Human Resource department conducted interviews and had spoken at length to all of the employees involved. However, the anger, disappointment, and low morale
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Challenge
Personality clashes, difficult employees, numerous complaints to Human Resources, low morale, frequent sick days being taken, low productivity, FMLA issues and frustration.
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Solution
Braverman Mediation & Consulting was called in to first help diagnose the problem. We first called a department meeting without the two supervisors after requesting that all participants sign confidentiality agreements. Thus, all discussions in the meeting were kept confidential. Next, BMC conducted weekly meetings with only the employees. Within the team discussions, BMC learned that the underlying causes of the problem were actually the two supervisors who had each interpreted the role/mission of the department differently and had required “loyalty” from their respective direct reports. The employees felt if they did not support their supervisor they would be seen as disloyal, yet many of the employees wanted to work collaboratively as one unit instead of two separate and polarized teams. This in turn caused frustration and ill will between the two teams within the same department, which then manifested itself in personality clashes. Once the personality clashes and dislikes took over, the employees became stressed, frustrated, sick and fed up. This led to FMLA, stress claims and Human Resource complaints.
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Result
Over a month’s time Braverman Mediation & Consulting met with all of the employees in confidential “mediation” sessions and began to unravel the sources of the tension. Relationships were repaired and hard feelings addressed. The entire team then wrote out an agreement among themselves on how to address the process issues that had once polarized them. They also wrote out their expectations of each other and their supervisors and suggested a plan on how to address the process/mission of the department. They became excited and motivated with their new ideas. One of the supervisors was removed from the team and today this entire department is thriving without any Human Resource interventions.
The facts have been altered to protect the identity and confidentiality of companies and clients involved.
This information is proprietary and may not be duplicated without prior written authorization from BMC.
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