Conflict in the Workplace - Views not Heard

The challenge

The client is an employee and she is a key head of department in the organisation. She recommended, to the senior team, a course of action that the client wished to be taken forward.  In the event the senior team did not take this course of action, nor did they feedback to the client why they did not take the action recommended.

The effect

The client felt that the recommendation was valid and that the senior team had been wrong in their decision.  This left the client no choice but to look for alternative employment.

Solution

The aim was to coach the client through this situation to explore what options where available to her and whether her decision to leave was the correct one for her.

Perception was key to understanding from the clients perspective and what was clear is that the client whilst acknowledged that the senior team had every right to make decisions, what the client had not reviewed was why the senior team had made their decision and what where the reasons for this outcome.  Exploring in depth perceptual positions of each of the senior team involved and that of the client unlocked greater understanding

Result

With the client, I explored the situation with her, and she realised that the recommendation that was given was favourable to the status quo of her department and to its current structure only. Understanding the senior teams’ key motivations, objectives and strategic vision, lead to greater understanding that the decision that the senior team made, was indeed the correct decision, as it was favourable to the greater good of the business and not just the clients department.