Dignity at Work Training

Our training focuses on a number of key areas:

• Skills development for First (or Harassment) Contacts

• Skills development for managers in Responding to Conflict

• Awareness raising seminars on the impact of Bullying Behaviours

• Awareness raising seminars on the impact of managing Diversity Approaches

• Walking on Eggshells Seminar Series

The ScotCoach partners are highly regarded throughout the UK and abroad for their specialist knowledge and real depth of experience in the area of Dignity at Work having provided external investigation and conflict resolution consultancy services to a wide range of large public and private sector organisations for some twenty years.

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They are now able to provide a range of training services through ScotCoach that draws on this experience and their understanding of challenging and complex behaviour in the workplace.

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First (or Harassment) Contact Skills Training – 3 Days

One of the most important and supportive things that any large public or private sector organisation can do is to introduce a first contact scheme so that employees can approach a trained colleague to discuss in confidence any concerns they may have about someone else’s behaviour at work and explore with the Contact what options they have to deal with the situation. This is important as we do not want people to suffer in silence or wait until things get worse before they ask for help.

This is a comprehensive 3 day internal programme that will train newly recruited First Contacts or existing Contacts in the performance of this very important voluntary role within organisations.

Our clients tell us that this is one of the most professional and highest calibre courses they have ever sourced.

ScotCoach will tailor this programme to your organisation’s own harassment policies and procedures. We are also able to provide you with expert consultancy services in developing your First Contact Scheme.

DAY 1 Defining and Understanding Harassment

AIM: To explore the elements of harassment within a legal, behavioural, social and cultural framework.

OBJECTIVES: At the completion of day 1 it will be expected that participants will meet the following objectives.

1. Describe the key elements of relevant harassment legislation in the UK.
2. Have an understanding of the behavioural ways in which harassment and conflict occurs in the workplace.
3. Discuss the social and cultural framework within which harassment occurs.
4. Have an appreciation of the need to be self-aware of personal values and prejudices.

CONTENT TO COVER:

• Overview of the newly introduced legislative framework for harassment in the UK including key definition elements; individual dignity, environment, purpose or intent and impact
• Introduction of the idea of a continuum of behaviours
• Examination of the element of ‘power’ in harassing behaviour
• Examination of the element of ‘impact’ in harassing behaviour
• Exploration of the evolution and escalation of conflict in the workplace
• Exploration of the societal context of harassment; value systems, cultural issues and prejudice

DAY 2 Exploring the Role of the First Contact

AIM: To define and explore the role of the First Contact

OBJECTIVES: At the completion of day 2 it will be expected that participants will meet the following objectives.

1. Describe the Lothian and Borders Police anti-harassment Policies and Procedures.
2. Identify appropriate and inappropriate supporting behaviours.
3. Understand the importance of empowering the client to make their own choices, suspending judgement and not giving advice.
4. Explain appropriate boundaries for confidentiality and impartiality.
5. Explain the four stages of the helping model.

CONTENT TO COVER:

• Options for action to be taken by employees as set out in relevant Lothian and Borders Policy and Procedures.
• Procedures to be followed in carrying out the Contact role.
• Exploration and clarification of the First Contact role including: appropriate limits on the role with regard to confidentiality, impartiality, advice and knowledge.
• The four stages of the helping model:

1. Contracting: explain code of confidentiality, clarify expectations, seek agreement
2. Exploration: relax the person, demonstrate an interest in them, use active listening, create a non-judgmental atmosphere, explore the issues and allow the person to express feelings, identify any duty of care/reporting issues
3. Understanding: probe for clarity, reflect content, feelings and meaning to show empathy, clarify expectations and adjust them if needed, summarise
4. Action: explain options, help to clarify what they want to do, facilitate evaluation of alternatives, facilitate goal setting and action plan, provide support as required, monitor and review progress

DAY 3 Focus on Helping Skills

AIM: To develop key competencies in carrying out the role of First Contact

OBJECTIVES: At the completion of day 2 it will be expected that participants will meet the following objectives.

1. Understand the possible impact of personal issues on the performance of the role.
2. Demonstrate the effective use of listening skills.
3. Demonstrate appropriate use of empathy.
4. Demonstrate effective communication skills in responding to a range of emotions and behaviours.
5. Understand how to use the skills introduced whilst maintaining confidentiality and impartiality.

CONTENT TO COVER:

• The importance of self-awareness.
• Issues around inappropriate supporting behaviours
• Effective use of active and reflective listening skills.
• Appropriate use of empathy so as not to breach impartiality.
• Communication skills in responding to a range of emotions and behaviours including; tears, anger, manipulation and fear.
• Communication skills that encourage the individual to take responsibility and empower them to make their own choices.

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Responding to Conflict – 1 Day or 2 days

Our perceptions of workplace conflict can greatly influence our ability to respond effectively. By reframing those perceptions and beginning to view conflict as a way of discovering and learning something about ourselves, our co-workers and our organizations we can then create a framework for responding to conflict that is empowering and transformative.

Whilst intuition and pragmatism are important aspects of responding to conflict it is not enough to rely on these things if we are going to be consistent and fair, prevent further harm being done and arrive at lasting solutions.

Employees and managers therefore need a framework within which they can discover what works well for them and how effective they can really be at resolving their own conflicts or intervening as a manager.

Content Summary

This lively and dynamic one day workshop introduces approaches and key skills that enable employees and managers to resolve workplace conflict with greater confidence and increased competence. The day will focus on:

• Power relations and empowering cultural practices
• Resources for responding to conflict
• Perceptions of conflict
• Conflict theory
• Negotiable and non-negotiable interests and needs in a conflict
• Use of conflict mapping to identify the needs, hopes and fears of each party to a conflict
• Maintaining appropriate boundaries
• Use of active listening
• Use of assertiveness
• Styles of handling conflict
• Reframing positions to interests and needs
• Reality checking alternative outcomes to a negotiated resolution

Designed for: Anyone who needs to intervene in workplace conflict or who would like to learn more about how to respond more effectively to workplace conflict as an individual.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

1. Understand the positive and negative aspects of workplace conflict
2. Apply effective communication strategies to resolve workplace conflict situations
3. Critically evaluate the role of power in workplace conflict
4. Demonstrate conflict mapping skills
5. Develop their active listening skills
6. Evaluate the appropriate use of assertiveness
7. Apply reframing techniques so that conflict can be resolved collaboratively
8. Use reality checking of outcomes in the negotiation of conflict

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Walking on Eggshells Seminar Series

ScotCoach have developed a series of interactive and highly informative seminars that stimulate discussion and focus on current best practice issues in the area of dignity at work and explore ways in which we can transform the workplace culture so that our responses and strategies are more effective. Theses seminars are ideal for executive boards, policy makers, leaders and decision makers within your organisation.

Walking on Eggshells ™ Seminar - 1/2 Day
Exploring the Impact of Bullying Behaviours in the Workplace

We are all very familiar now with the need to eradicate bullying behaviours in the workplace.

But do we really understand what bullying behaviours really are and why it is that in the vast majority of cases this type behaviour is ‘unintended’ but is still regarded as bullying.
How can we modify our behaviour if we don’t truly understand the nature of the behaviour we are being asked to modify?
The most significant element in achieving change in this area is in being able to have an open and unfettered dialogue with each other at work about these issues without always relying on a compliance approach to get things resolved – for if we don’t have this dialogue we end up ‘walking on eggshells’ with each other and nothing really changes.

This brief seminar will:

• Highlight some of the key issues in individual and group behaviour and explore common myths and misconceptions about bullying behaviour
• Provide an overview of some of the current thinking about why bullying has a disruptive impact on organisations
• Explore some of the ways in which this negative impact can be reduced

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Walking on Eggshells Seminar ™ – ½ Day
Exploring the Impact of Diversity on Individual and Group Behaviour

Over some four decades equal employment opportunities and positive action have developed into the approach known as ‘managing diversity’ and is now considered mainstream in more and more organisations.

But what do we know about how effective this approach has been and what impact it is having on groups and individuals at work.

We do know that it can have both positive and negative effects and that some people are feeling that when they come to work they are now ‘walking on eggshells’ and feel uneasy about what to say or do for fear of getting it wrong.

This brief seminar will:

• Provide an overview of some of the current thinking about why diversity can have an unintended disruptive impact on organisations
• Explore some of the ways in which this negative impact can be reduced so that diversity maximises group performance and effectiveness
• Highlight some of the key issues in group behaviour and performance and explore whether diversity really can enhance effectiveness

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For more information on workplace mediation training or to arrange a mediation with professional mediators please go here. For details of our emotional intelligence (EI, EQ) consultancy please go here. If you are interested in dignity at work training or consultancy, please click here.