Resolving Differences on the Job Site

Resolving Differences on the Job Site

By Sheralyn Belyeu

Steve Langley, business manager for Local 85 in Atlanta, was an apprentice on a worksite when he saw two apprentices from other trades in a heated argument. The general contractor stopped the fight and told them to shake hands and make up or he would send them home. This effort to make peace backfired when one of the apprentices pulled out a razor knife and cut the other. “The plumber had to have about 35 stitches in his face,” Langley says.

The aggressor was fired immediately, but 18 years later, that plumber still has a visible scar.

Differences between trades are a leading cause of conflict on a worksite. “All the subcontractors are fed into buildings through a hallway,” says John Ilten of Ilten’s Inc. in Grand Rapids, Iowa, and a member of the National Joint Adjustment Board. “That’s a tight area to work in. When the schedules get compressed, everyone is fighting for the same limited space.” Disagreements also arise when crew members don’t come to work or need to improve their workpersonship.

One key to handling conflict is recognizing when individuals need a break. “We’re not using rational minds when we’re that activated,” says clinical psychologist Dr. Sally SpencerThomas. “Getting the brain to calm down so you can see other possibilities is a good thing to do.” The next step is actually taking the break—for example, a brisk walk.

“Send them to opposite sides of the job for 30 minutes or an hour and let them cool down,” Langley says. Contractors may feel obligated to fire someone after an argument, but Langley finds that most of these employees can be saved. “Send them home for three days and see how they do,” he says.

Some disputes are so complicated that it’s hard to know what happened. Contractors can call SMART for help with sorting things out. A good business representative will investigate allegations, take written statements, and give the contractor an objective report. “We have to defend our members, but the members can get out of line,” Langley says. “Sometimes we sit them down and give them a scolding ourselves, and the company doesn’t have to do anything. We work with companies to keep the job site safe and keep troublemakers off the job.”

Resolving problems may demand some very difficult conversations. When Ilten was president of SMACNA, one of the most controversial topics he addressed was the decision to raise annual dues by 60% during his tenure. “As I traveled around the country, I knew that was going to be a contentious issue, so I always started by laying out my position and the reasoning behind the decision,” he says. “If you let somebody else define your position, then you’re in trouble.”

If others don’t agree with certain decisions, sharing the background information can prevent misunderstandings. “There are no secrets in this industry, so if you have to have difficult conversations, it’s better to have them on your terms rather than on somebody else’s,” Ilten says.

Dr. Spencer-Thomas recommends listening closely in challenging conversations to ensure that you understand what the other person is concerned about. “Really try to suspend judgment and see things from their perspective,” she says.

“Find a semi-private or private place that feels safe to them when you talk.”

Body language can be more important than the words you say. “Are you towered over somebody with your arms crossed or looking judgmental?” she says. “Or are you sitting side by side trying to understand them? Listening sincerely will deescalate situations and can create space for new ideas.”

Conflicts are unpleasant for a senior person, but they can be even more threatening for a junior employee or apprentice. “You’re vulnerable because people may misunderstand what you say, use it against you in the future, or think you can’t cut it,” Dr. Spencer-Thomas says. “It takes a lot of courage for someone in a subordinate position to speak up in this way.”

Dr. Spencer-Thomas advises junior industry members to have a plan when initiating a challenging conversation. “Pick your battles,” she says. “If a difficult issue is worth bringing up, start the discussion with how important the relationship or the work is. Be sure that the other person can tell you aren’t just complaining or trying to be hurtful, and acknowledge some way that you can improve your own behavior or attitude.”

After those steps, explain what actions are causing a problem. Be as specific as possible, and remember that very few people set out to deliberately hurt others. “Usually, it’s not their intent to ruin someone else’s life,” Dr. Spencer-Thomas explains. “The impact that a negative action has, maybe because of the tone or the words or the way the person went about it, likely wasn’t what they intended.”

Invite the person or people involved to brainstorm about ways to improve the situation together. “Tell them what you’re thinking about doing and ask them to make your idea better,” Dr. Spencer-Thomas says. “Respect their life history and their wisdom. Nobody likes to be told what to do, so give people choices.”

Talking directly with the other individual about an interpersonal problem is usually the right thing to do, but sometimes it’s not appropriate, and sometimes it doesn’t work. If an employee needs to escalate a problem to a higher level, Ilten prefers to let the other person know in a nonconfrontational way. If that person is dishonest, though, Ilten recommends going straight to his or her superior with the situation.

Langley, Ilten, and Dr. Spencer-Thomas all agree that talking problems out honestly is ideal. “Conflict is actually good when handled well, because conflict challenges stuck thinking,” Dr. Spencer-Thomas says. “Conflicts helps us grow. Conflict itself is not bad, but how we manage conflicts can result in a better opportunity, a stalemate, or harm. We need to learn how to handle conflict.”

Five Steps for Taking a Problem to Your Superior: 5

1. Pick your battles thoughtfully.

2. Start with the importance of the relationship and mission.

3. Acknowledge your own side of a problem and share ways you want to improve.

4. Explain how the other person’s actions have impacted you negatively. Be as specific as possible.

5. Invite brainstorming for improvement. ▪

A Colorado native, Sheralyn Belyeu lives and writes deep in the woods of Alabama. When she’s not writing, she grows organic blueberries and collects misspellings of her name.

Photo courtesy of Local 85