Blog 7.1 Response to Seabreeze’s response to Avisha’s 7.1

The post can be found at:

https://create.twu.ca/seabreeze/2018/11/16/blog-7-1-response-to-avisha-advancing-organization-by-conflict-resolution/

“In fact conflict in the workplace is unhealthy and leads to anxiety issues and depression” (Seabreeze, 2018).” I believe this is currently what is happening in my school. It is a well known fact that our school has the highest number of teacher sick days taken within a school year in our division. The majority of teachers leave the school at 3:30 with the students and do not help out with after school activities such as helping set up for mass, helping to decorate the school for different themes and seasons throughout the year, planning extra activities such as track and field-day, talent shows and Christmas concerts. It is always the same select few teachers that are sitting on committees, planning and organizing extra events for our school. The teachers or staff who refuse to help are also the ones who have poor attendance and take many sick days. This causes conflict and a divide on our staff which in turn causes an unhealthy work environment. Lepsinger (2010) suggests that a “lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities is another cooperation-crusher” (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 127). Cooperation is crushed because every party believes that the completion of a task is someone else’s responsibility (Lepsinger, 2010). The repeated avoidance of accepting responsibility has resulted in conflict and unhappiness in the workplace. The difficult part of this situation is that these kinds of things can’t really be any one person’s responsibility. These activities take place outside of working hours and outside of paid hours. People feel a lack of responsibility because they do not want to help with something that they aren’t getting paid for. This becomes even more difficult because all of these activities, committees or responsibilities are still expected. They are what give our school it’s identity.

I have found that this repetition of the same conflict over and over has caused even more conflict among staff. The crew that usually pulls the weight and does the extra work, automatically just plans to do the extra work and doesn’t ask for help. Lepsinger (2010) tell us, “because you have an impression of the person performing at a certain level, you continue to expect less from him and in return you get less” (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 49). He suggests that we need to “assume value and listen for the positives” in all people (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 50). If we continue to expect that these people will do nothing to help, then they will do nothing to help. This relates to your comments on the school newspaper and how it can do a better job of recognizing more people. (Seabreeze, 2018). After a conflict on our staff last year, I found myself reflecting on what could be done differently and I truly believe that maybe the teachers who get the least recognition because it appears that they do not go above and beyond are the teachers that need it the most because it would encourage them to do more.

“I like your weekly meetings approach because then everyone can meet more frequently to dialogue over pressing matters” (seabreeze, 2018). I think meetings are crucial in ensuring positive workplace culture. My school has moved to three staff meetings throughout the year. The majority of our communication is now through email. I think this is a dangerous step for our staff as we have already struggled with communication. In order to make feel like they have “purpose and value” (Seabreeze, 2018), they need to feel like they have a voice. Meetings provide opportunity for people’s voices to be heard.

“Teachers should get paid to attend meetings that go outside of our scheduled work hours” (Seabreeze, 2018). This is a huge debate in Alberta education right now. Teachers are defending the stance that they should not have to do anything outside of the 40 hour work week. Within in a school there are so many activities that require planning and extra work after hours. In my experience, it is impossible to fit everything into the normal working hours. I truly believe in committing the extra time because it benefits our school, makes us competitive with the other school in our town, builds culture, character and identity of the school and makes the experience special for the students. I fail to see how we can possibly fit everything we’d like to do into a 40 hour work week and have accepted that it is just a part of my job to attend meetings and work-bees after hours.

You are absolutely correct in saying, “ Schools are by nature complex and diverse” (Seabreeze, 2018).

References

Lepsinger, R. (2010). Closing the execution gap: How great leaders and their companies get results. Jossey Bass.

Seabreeze. (2018, November). Blog 7.1 Response to Avisha Advancing Organization by Conflict Resolution [Web log post]. Retrieved November 12, 2018, from https://create.twu.ca/seabreeze/2018/11/16/blog-7-1-response-to-avisha-advancing-organization-by-conflict-resolution/