THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
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Eight Causes of Workplace Conflict in a Law Firm Part-2 In the first part of this series we elaborated on the common causes of workplace conflict within law firms based upon the eight causes of conflict proposed by Bell and Hart, and enumerated them. We dealt with conflicts arising from ‘resources’ and ‘working styles.’ In this part of the series, we would be dealing with workplace conflicts in law firms arising from the other six causes.
Perceptions at conflict:
Goals at conflict:
Differences in perceptions are common at law firms
This, of course, is one of the principal reasons of
due to the secretive natures of management and the
workplace conflict and arises when individuals have
overbearing convention and need of ‘confidentiality.’
conflicting personal goals, or the personal goals of an
Differences in perception usually occur when one
employee, or a group of employees, conflict with the
person knows something that the other does not and
goals of the organization. To handle conflicting goals,
hence they perceive the same thing differently. Take for
the first thing is to be sure that they are resolved with
example the case of Dewey and LeBoeuf: Until Steve
concerned parties. One partner of a firm may stress on
Harris dropped the bomb in an October meeting telling
speed of delivery, while another may stress on quality,
partners of the actual financial liabilities of the firm and
and a third pay stress on costs, and unless you talk it
where it stood economically, those outside the coterie
out with each in a logical fashion, conflicting goals and
had totally different perceptions about the functioning.
accountabilities would continue to generate stress and
The same attorneys who had been ‘compelling’
conflicts. In the practice of law, conflicting objectives
associates to focus on work and not on rumors began
are well recognized as a flaw and a clear source of
to look first for alternative jobs for themselves and
conflicts as the same attorney is lawfully not expected
then started trying to negotiate group defections.
to advise or handle the cases of adversaries.
Within a few days all perceptions had changed, because the access to ‘knowledge’ changed.
Conflicts from pressures and priorities:
Everyone sees the world through colored lenses
You need your report by the evening from your legal
tinted by personal knowledge of things and situations.
staff and the same staff is burdened to provide a
Workplace conflicts arising from differences in
partner with detailed accounts by the same evening.
perception need to be understood in terms of
Conflicts either with the staff or other stakeholders can
difference in knowledge of situations and things,
easily generate under such situations. The nature of
including knowledge of law. The only way to resolve
these conflicts are very similar to those arising from
such workplace conflicts arising from differences in
conflicting objectives but are more task oriented and
perception is to increase transparency and exchange
related with priorities and short-term objectives. The
knowledge and information. Once all parties in the
only way to handle this is to be sure that people are
conflict have access to the same information about
not under conflicting pressures and to prioritize things
something, logical and rational conclusions would
so that delivery of work becomes possible without
hardly differ so much from each other as to generate
ensuing conflicts.
conflict.
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