Dealing with Problems

At Common Knowledge, we want to do conflict well. We want tensions between team members to be generative, healthy and productive. We want a culture of robust debate, honesty, and care – all in service of our mission.

Principles

  • Resolve conflicts as close as possible to the people involved. Begin with the people directly involved, and escalate from there as needed.
  • We have mutual responsibility and care for each other. We act in good faith and work to be constructive, empathetic and honest. We resolve conflicts with both our individual needs and the needs of the cooperative in mind.
  • When disagreement becomes conflicted and is blocking progress is hurtful or harmful, a resolution needs to be found. We engage to the best of our ability to resolve conflict, and seek help when needed.
  • Anyone affected by a conflict can escalate an issue that is not being resolved at the current level of engagement.
  • Resolution means the parties involved feel heard, the agreed outcome or change is clear, and normal decision-making and activity within Common Knowledge is possible. If a conflict continues to negatively impact an individual or the team, it is not resolved.
  • Resolving conflicts takes time and time should be allowed for everyone to be heard. However, if a conflict is triggered by a specific event, or series of behaviours, it is best to try and resolve them as close as possible to the events in terms of time.

Practice

How we encourage effective communication within our organisation.

  • We recognise that these skills take time to learn and to become skilful at.
  • An introduction to our communication systems, culture and conflict resolution process are part of our staff Membership Policy.
  • Regular team processes to reflect on our systems and raise any issues, such as sprint stand-ups and retrospectives, check-in rounds at meetings.
  • Prompts in buddy sessions to work through any conflicts or problems between individuals, or between an individual and the cooperative as a whole.
  • Continuous focus on smooth, effective, empathetic communication online and offline within the team. A culture of giving direct constructive feedback, listening to one another, and asking for help when needed.

Conflict Resolution

We endeavour to resolve conflicts at the lowest possible escalation step, but agree to escalate conflicts if they are not resolved.

Each step of the conflict resolution process contains a step up to a higher level - if needed - and a step out, i.e. a way in which to leave the process in some way, hopefully by resolving the conflict.

1. Personal reflection & individual support

Think through what happened. Take time and space to process and clarify your thinking if you feel confused, overwhelmed, or are experiencing strong emotions. Talk to a trusted friend, colleague, or your buddy to work through your own perspective and experience.

Every member of Common Knowledge has a buddy and talking to your buddy about the situation is something you should feel able to do. Your buddy can act as a key supporter in resolving any conflicts, though if your conflict is with your buddy you might want to talk to another person within or outside Common Knowledge.

Ask yourself what part you played in it, what you could have done different, and what your needs are to improve the situation.

If you feel you need to go beyond individual work to resolve the problem, escalate to the next step.

Feeling like this is the case might look like:

  • You feel that it's been going on for a while and talking to your buddy hasn't helped.
  • It is still a difficulty and is effecting your relationships.
  • It is making you unhappy.

Stepping out might look like:

  • Feeling that, on reflection, you were mistaken about the situation.
  • Realising that this was not about your relationship but about something else.
  • Realising that it wasn't as significant as you first believed.

2. Direct communication

As long as you feel safe and the power balance and tone is conducive to constructive discussion, approach the person in question and talk it out. Be mindful of picking a good time and place (privacy, lack of time pressure, mutually agreed location).

If you don’t feel like you can work it out one-on-one for any reason, escalate to the next step.

If you have talked one on one and after a reasonable period the conflict doesn't seem to be resolved, then you can consider moving to the next step. A reasonable period might be something like a month.

Perhaps set yourself a personal calendar reminder to check in with your feeling about the situation in a month time and see how you feel.

Feeling this might be the case might look like:

  • The issue is still ongoing and still difficult despite these conversations.
  • The person you feel was unconstructive in these discussions and it feels to you that there is more to say.
  • Things still feel difficult and it is making you unhappy or another negative emotion.

Stepping out might look like:

  • Whatever issues you initially thought we the case no longer happen.
  • Together you and the person in question have worked together to understand the difficulty and made an individual or joint plan to address it.
  • Things seem brighter and more normal between you and the person.

3. Supported communication

Bring in your buddy to host a conversation with the people involved. The other party might want to bring their buddy, too.

If the buddy feels like they can't handle the situation or understand it, or is involved, or you’ve tried and it didn’t resolve the conflict, escalate to the next step.

Feeling like this might be the case is similar to previous steps.

  • The issue is still ongoing and still difficult despite these conversations.
  • The person you feel was unconstructive in these discussions and it feels to you that there is more to say.
  • Things still feel difficult and it is making you unhappy or another negative emotion.

Stepping out might look like:

  • Whatever issues you initially thought we the case no longer happen.
  • Together you and the person in question have worked together to understand the difficulty and made an individual or joint plan to address it.
  • Things seem brighter and more normal between you and the person.

4. Mediator

If the previous steps have not resolved the conflict, reach out to an external mediator, or ask your buddy to do so.

If you feel that this cannot be resolved, you can escalate this to a formal grievance against the colleague.

Conflicts exist over time, so it is useful to check in after an amount of time to see if you feel the situation is resolved. A reasonable period might be something like a month. Perhaps set yourself a personal calendar reminder to check in with your feeling about the situation in a month time and see how you feel.

Feeling like this might be the case is similar to previous steps:

  • The issue is still ongoing and still difficult despite these conversations.
  • The person you feel was unconstructive in these discussions and it feels to you that there is more to say.
  • Things still feel difficult and it is making you unhappy or another negative emotion.

Stepping out might look like:

  • Whatever issues you initially thought we the case no longer happen.
  • Together you and the person in question have worked together to understand the difficulty and made an individual or joint plan to address it.
  • Things seem brighter and more normal between you and the person.

5. Escalation to Grievance

If the above steps are not successful in resolving the conflict, the situation will be escalated beyond the conflict resolution process and become an employment matter.

At this stage, all members will be engaged to gather all the information about the situation and figure out next steps. Irresolvable conflicts may lead to someone leaving the organisation, referral to external authorities if relevant, or systemic or structural changes to our organisation.

Grievance and disciplinary procedures are difficult things for the organisation to go through. We hope that matters can be resolved at an earlier stage. As with the prior steps of conflict resolution, the intention of them is to hopefully resolve the situation, rather a formality before highest possible penalty, being dismissal.

Voluntarily Leaving The Cooperative

What often happens in organisations where individuals or groups go through grievance or disciplinary procedures is that the person involved in them, even if the situation is resolved, is that the person involved ends up leaving in any case.

At each stage of these processes, the employee involved may choose to leave the cooperative rather than pursue the matter to the end.

Resources

Resources are for everyone to access and use to take responsibility for our own behaviour and also to support others with theirs:

See also: Loomio Conflict Resolution Resources Nonviolent Communication Cooperativa Facilitation Guide for Effective Conflict Resolution

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