VOICE OF THE
WORKERS ISSUE 44 NOVEMBER 2014
Contents Does it have to be this taxing? 02
HANDLING CHALLENGING CO-WORKERS It’s people skills that matter THE PERCENTAGE OF MOST PEOPLE’S LIVES SPENT WORKING IS ROUGHLY ONE THIRD OF THEIR DAY. IN THE QUEST FOR HAPPINESS, WORK PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT PART. NATURALLY, WHAT GOES ON AT WORK WILL IMPACT THE QUALITIY OF OUR LIVES. Work is not just made up of tasks. It is made up of relationships. The quality of our relationships at work will also affect the quality of our lives. Many people would attest to the fact that they meet challenging co-workers on a daily basis. Some manage to mitigate issues they might have with theor colleagues. Others, on the other hand, suffer VOICE OF THE
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in silence or become openly aggressive. Most workers admit that they encounter problems at work due to the characters and actions of their colleagues. However, a significant portion of these workers do not have the necessary skills to proactively handle such situations, and end up paying the price. The
Dealing with challenging co-workers: Useful tips
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Creating a positive working environment
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Dealing with difficult co-workers
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The European Perspective
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EDITOR’S NOTE JOSEF VELLA consequences of these problems are varied. Some decide to quit work; others try to engage in people avoidance; others put on their armour and decide to fight; others end up depressed and physically sick. It should not have to be a tragedy to work with people. Rather than looking at colleagues as problems, we need to do all we can to perceive them as opportunities. Naturally, to do this, people need to have the necessary inter-personal skills to be able to handle challenging behaviour. At the end of the day, diversity should not just be tolerated; 1
EDITORIAL
it needs to be celebrated. Intrinsically, diversity brings about perceptions, styles, characters, likes and dislikes that may be starkly different from ours. Having the skills to proactively handle co-workers is the key to communicating better, enhancing relationships and improving the quality of life at work. Unfortunately, most of us learn such skills through experience, usually the hard way. This lack of effective control can bring about a lot of resentment and strained relationships along the way. Handling challenging coworkers can be a skill that can
be acquirted through training. This will help the person preempt certain behaviours and settle issues before they actually happen with the least emotional cost possible. Naturally, it will also help the person explore whether he or she might be the challenging co-worker, rather than the person’s colleague. It will also aid the person to see what can be changed, what cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference. Working with people can be an extremely rewarding experience. As we live in a world of free will, we might not be able to change the people around us. But we
just might have the confidence to change ourselves and assert our right to be capable of handling situations as they arise.
Having the skills to proactively handle co-workers is the key to communicating better, enhancing relationships and improving the quality of life at work PICTURE STORY
Does it have to be this taxing? For many people, dealing with co-workers is probably the most stressful aspect of their working life. This may be caused by a lack of self-confidence, as well as a lack of proper interpersonal skills. This skills can be acquired, and although the proof of the pudding is in the eating, we do not have to learn the hard way. The ability to embrace workplace diversity and work towards handling diverse people will go a long way towards making work a much better life experience. VOICE OF THE
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MILESTONES IN THE HISTORY OF THE ARMED FORCES OF MALTA
DEALING WITH CHALLENGING CO-WORKERS BEFORE YOU UNDERSTAND OTHERS, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND YOURSELF How do you react to situations? Are you over/under-reacting? Do you fell self-confident? Explore your piece of the ‘problem’ equation • What are your ‘hot buttons’? • Do you think you embrace diversity, or does it really unnerve you? • • • •
VOICE OF THE
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WORKING WITH CHALLENGING PEOPLE
USEFUL TIPS
• Avoid discussing divisive and personal issues • Don’t try to change the other person • Replace reactions with responses • Relationships are dynamic and need maintaining • Try to look for the positives • Recognise the negatives • Get support when you need it • Distance yourself when necessary • Develop a sense of humour • Be professional, courteous and respectful • Keep your composure
IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS • Take it higher up • Take clear documentation with you • Identify specifically the problem behaviour and the effects on you or on performance • Let authorities know of your efforts to solve the problem with the person directly • Explore the possibility that there has been a failure on the part of management to clarify roles, objectives and expectations • If you believe you are being bullied or abused, name it for what it is: Seek help, even professionally
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MEUSAC
CREATING A POSITIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENT The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), was set up in 1994, with the aim of creating safer, healthier and more productive work places in Europe. In November 2013, the EU-OSHA issued a Multi-annual Strategic Programme for the 2014-2020 period, with six priority areas to improve understanding and awareness of risks at workplaces and to increase occupational safety and health across Europe, including psychosocial risks. In a recent European poll which was conducted by EU-OSHA, the most common causes for workrelated stress were job insecurity (72%), followed by long working hours with excessive workloads (66%) and also bullying and harassment (59%). Statistics show that work-related stress is the second most frequently reported work-related health problem in Europe, just after musculoskeletal disorders.
Psychosocial risks in the working environment occur as a result of poor work design, organisation and management and also due to a poor social context of work. Working conditions, such as the lack of support from colleagues, poor interpersonal relationships, harassment, and violence, amongst various others, may lead to various psychosocial risks.
Statistics show that workrelated stress is the second most frequently reported work-related health problem in Europe, just after musculoskeletal disorders As part of this Strategic Programme, the EU-OSHA is running a two-year campaign, entitled ‘Healthy Workplaces; Manage Stress’ which commenced this year, in order to raise awareness on psychosocial issues, and also the tools available for
any possible prevention. With over 60 different organisations across Europe and various National Focal Points, including Malta, the EU aims at providing various toolkits and guides so as to avoid work-related stress which could lead to serious mental and physical problems. A joint initiative, entitled ‘Psychosocial risks in Europe; Prevalence and strategies for prevention’ was also created by the EU-OSHA and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). The initiative is aimed at providing comparative information on the prevalence of psychosocial risks among workers and also on the various associations between these risks and health and well-being. For more information please click on the Campaign guide and also the Healthy Workplaces Campaign website. For more information on Malta’s Focal Point, please click here.
MEUSAC 280 Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1112 Tel: +356 2200 3315 • Fax: +356 2200 3329 • Email: info.meusac@gov.mt www.meusac.gov.mt VOICE OF THE
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MCESD
Dealing with difficult co-workers Workers normally spend more time at their place of work than at home. It is very important for workers to be happy at their place of work both for their mental well being as well as for productive purposes. However, there are various difficulties which workers need to face at their place of work including dealing with difficult co-workers. The ability to deal with them is a pre-requisite for harmony at the place of work. Dealing with co-workers who are difficult with others might be easier than when dealing with ones who are being specifically difficult with one individual. The way an individual deals with such co-workers would reflect his or
her performance at the place of work. But one needs to keep certain effective strategies in mind. A positive attitude when dealing with such co-workers especially when it comes to minor issues is essential and communication in this regard is crucial. It is also the role of effective leaders to acknowledge when employees are unable to get along and try their best to find solutions to the problem. Firstly they need to acknowledge that the best way to deal with difficult individuals is by recognising that there is an issue and they need to act quickly so as the problem is not escalated. This is done by
having continuous interaction with the members of staff. Acting on facts and taking time to evaluate the situation are also important factors. Furthermore, when dealing with a difficult coworker one needs to address the behaviour and not the individual personally. Meditation is also a good tool in coming up with joint agreements as to how to find a solution. It is important to point to the fact that when there is any type of harassment or abuse involved the situation needs to be addressed and directed towards the necessary authorities in order for action to be taken.
MCESD 280/3, Republic Street, Valletta, VLT1112 Tel: (+356) 2200 3300 www.mcesd.org.mt VOICE OF THE
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GWU BUDGET 2015 CIA
The European Perspective INFORMATIVE SOURCES
Workplace conflict, stress and other aspects of dealing with challenging co-workers are also being discussed and information shared on a European level. The information has been gathered by the Brussels Office of the Conferderazione Italiana Agricoltori. WORKING CONFLICT RESOLUTION REPORT Ten ways to manage employee conflict and improve office communication, the workplace environment and team productivity The report is available here: http://goo.gl/lfWAeF STUDY: EU WORKERS FACE STRESS-RELATED HEALTH RISKS One quarter of Europeans risk health problems due to stress at work, says the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and Eurofound, in a joint report (13 October). Monotonous and repetitive tasks are to blame for distress, according to Psychosocial risks in Europe: Prevalence and strategies for prevention joint report. Irregular working hours have also a negative impact on workers’ well-being. The report is available here: http://goo.gl/7uUGU0
MUTUAL LEARNING PROGRAMME The Mutual Learning Programme (MLP) under the European Employment Strategy (EES) aims to: • support, coordinate and encourage mutual learning between EU Member States in order to assist progress towards the goals of the European Employment Strategy, • encourage mutual learning opportunities resulting in policy influence at the EU and national levels, • disseminate the results of the MLP and their contribution to the European Employment Strategy to wider audiences. The MLP includes a range of activities: • Thematic Events – seminars on a specific policy theme, held at the start of the year, for experts, policymakers, social partners and other stakeholders from across Europe. • Peer Reviews – events throughout the year aimed at government representatives, informed and supported by independent academic expertise. • Learning Exchanges – for a small group of national representatives to share experiences in relation to a specific policy issue. • Dissemination seminars – held at the end of each year to disseminate the MLP’s results and identified good practices. • Database of labour market practices – containing examples of effective policies and measures within the context of the European Employment Strategy. For instance, the Learning Exchanges of the Mutual Learning Programme (MLP) offer rapid, targeted support to EU countries in addressing specific policy challenges and issues by bringing together a small group of government representatives and associated stakeholders to exchange information and experience. Participate! Are you a government representative or stakeholder interested in taking part in a Learning Exchange? Contact the MLP support team at EMPLC1-UNIT@ec.europa.eu.
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