resolving_issues_with_your_boss

05/04/2025:

Resolving Issues with Your Boss (Part 18A):

The Tribulations of Collaboration – Workplace Challenges

Summary of Part 17

Part 17 explored conflict resolution strategies, tactics, and tools, emphasizing the need to distinguish between them. Strategies define overarching frameworks, while tactics are actionable steps within those strategies. Techniques like facilitated dialogue, restorative justice, and collaborative law are classified as tactical tools. Additionally, people skills, journey mapping, and the Ombudsman role enhance broader strategies but are not standalone solutions. The article highlights that mislabeling tactics as strategies can undermine conflict resolution efforts, stressing the importance of applying these methods appropriately for lasting outcomes.

Introduction

Just because people agree to collaborate — to work jointly with others in some endeavor — does not necessarily mean that they agree on what the word “cooperate " means. Words, perceptions, and behavior drive our attempts to collaborate, and often, what we believe we understand turns out to be subject to a different interpretation.

The modern workplace is a dynamic environment characterized by diverse interactions, generational differences, and evolving leadership expectations. As organizations strive to foster productivity and innovation, they must also navigate complex challenges, such as workplace conflict, incivility, bullying, and power imbalances. These challenges stem from common root causes, including poor communication, ineffective conflict management, lack of psychological safety, and disempowerment. However, by implementing strategic solutions — such as structured communication, leadership training, employee empowerment, and accountability measures — organizations can create more inclusive and high-functioning workplaces.

Common Workplace Challenges and Their Root Causes

A thorough listing of challenge root causes would include external factors such as economic volatility, market disruption, industry regulation changes, and broader societal shifts that impact workplace dynamics. While these forces significantly influence organizational challenges through increased stress, job insecurity, and competitive pressures, they remain largely outside the direct control of workplace stakeholders. Instead, the focus remains on internal factors where organizational leadership and employees can implement meaningful interventions and strategic solutions to create positive workplace change.

Poor Communication and Misalignment of Expectations

One of the most significant contributors to workplace challenges is poor communication and misalignment of expectations. Miscommunication can lead to misunderstandings in collaboration (Lefcowitz, 2022), generational disconnects in workplace culture (Myers & Sadaghiani, 2010), and increased workplace incivility (Taylor, et al., 2012). When expectations are unclear, employees may struggle to meet performance goals, leading to frustration, decreased morale, and inefficiency.

Cultural nuances in communication styles and language barriers can lead to misinterpretations and execution errors (Li & Karakowsky, 2018). This challenge is further amplified in remote and hybrid work environments, where digital tools replace face-to-face interactions, increasing the likelihood of message distortion. Additionally, while intended to enhance connectivity, technological communication platforms often introduce new channels for miscommunication when organizations lack standardized digital communication protocols.

Power Imbalances and Organizational Culture Issues

Another prevalent issue is power imbalances that foster workplace bullying (Samnani & Singh, 2016) and aggression (LeBlanc & Barling, 2004). When power is concentrated in a few individuals without checks and balances, workplace hierarchies may lead to mistreating subordinates and a toxic culture discouraging open dialogue. Employees who perceive themselves as powerless are less likely to report concerns, exacerbating workplace dissatisfaction and retention issues.

Organizational structure issues, such as siloed departments and unclear reporting relationships, exacerbate these imbalances by creating informational fiefdoms. Furthermore, leadership style misalignment—when leaders' approaches conflict with organizational values or employee needs—can undermine trust and reinforce toxic power dynamics, regardless of formal anti-bullying policies.

Conflict Mismanagement and Unresolved Tensions

When mismanaged, workplace conflict can lead to long-term inefficiencies. While conflict can potentially drive learning and innovation (De Dreu, 2008), unresolved tensions can create hidden costs that burden employees and management. Poorly handled disputes can shift focus away from productivity, creating emotional and psychological stress (Spreitzer, 1995). Organizations that fail to address conflicts proactively may face reduced engagement, increased absenteeism, and turnover.

Resource constraints and workload imbalances contribute. When teams operate with inadequate staffing or uneven task distribution, perceived inequities become flashpoints for interpersonal tension (Chan, 2016). Similarly, cultural misunderstandings in increasingly diverse workplaces create conflict through different interpretations of professional behavior, feedback styles, and collaboration approaches. These factors create complex conflict scenarios that extend beyond simple disagreements, requiring more sophisticated resolution approaches than traditional mediation might offer.

Lack of Psychological Safety and Employee Support

Employees need to feel psychologically safe to contribute effectively. A lack of psychological safety has been linked to workplace incivility, bullying, and aggression. Victims of workplace mistreatment often experience emotional distress and reduced organizational commitment (Taylor, et al., 2012). Employees become disengaged without mechanisms to report grievances safely, leading to decreased productivity and innovation.

Historically marginalized groups who may experience systemic barriers to full workplace participation may also be affected. These employees often report lower levels of psychological safety due to experiences with bias, both explicit and implicit (Nembhard & Edmondson, 2006). Remote and hybrid work arrangements introduce additional challenges to psychological safety by reducing opportunities for relationship building and increasing feelings of isolation. Without intentional structures to support connection in distributed teams, employees may withhold contributions and concerns, diminishing organizational learning and innovation capacity.

Resistance to Change and Disempowerment

A final challenge is employee resistance to change and disempowerment. Organizations that do not foster psychological empowerment often experience workforce disengagement (Spreitzer, 1995). Employees who feel they have no control over their work processes are less motivated to contribute meaningfully. Without clear pathways for growth, workplace morale suffers, leading to diminished innovation and adaptability.

As digital transformation accelerates, disparities in technological literacy become sources of disempowerment, particularly for employees without adequate training resources (Venkatesh & Bala, 2008). Rigid organizational structures with excessive bureaucracy and departmental siloing further reduce employee disempowerment by limiting cross-functional collaboration and idea flow. These structural barriers create invisible constraints on employee agency, reinforcing resistance patterns that appear as individual attitudes but are actually systemic.

Strategic Solutions for Workplace Improvement

Enhancing Communication and Expectation Setting

To address workplace miscommunication, organizations must prioritize structured communication and clear expectation-setting. Employers can use mentorship programs to bridge generational divides (Myers & Sadaghiani, 2010) and structured feedback systems to align expectations with performance objectives (Lefcowitz, 2024). Open communication channels also enable employees to voice concerns before they escalate into larger issues.

Leadership Training and Conflict Resolution Skills

Leadership training and conflict resolution skills are critical for mitigating workplace aggression and bullying. Training managers to recognize and address workplace conflicts can create a more harmonious work environment (Samnani & Singh, 2016). Organizations should also implement structured conflict resolution programs to equip employees with the skills to manage disputes constructively (De Dreu, 2008).

Fostering Psychological Safety and Employee Well-Being

Building a culture of psychological safety encourages employees to express their concerns without fear of retaliation. Organizations can achieve this by strengthening leadership-employee relationships and promoting respectful workplace interactions (Taylor, et al., 2012). Additionally, companies should implement policies that promote behavioral accountability, ensuring that workplace incivility and bullying are addressed promptly.

Employee Empowerment and Inclusion

Empowering employees by giving them autonomy and recognition fosters engagement and motivation (Spreitzer, 1995). Organizations should implement transparent decision-making processes and provide employees with leadership opportunities. This approach reduces workplace resistance to change, ensuring employees feel valued and included in strategic decisions.

Structured Policies and Accountability Measures

Implementing structured policies and accountability measures is essential in mitigating workplace bullying, aggression, and incivility. Organizations should establish anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies (Samnani & Singh, 2016), create safe reporting mechanisms, and hold individuals accountable for toxic workplace behavior (LeBlanc & Barling, 2004). Accountability fosters a respectful workplace culture and reduces the risk of repeated incidents.

Mentorship, Training, and Career Development.

A commitment to employee growth enhances organizational stability. Companies should offer mentorship programs, training, and career development opportunities to ensure long-term engagement (Myers & Sadaghiani, 2010). Encouraging constructive controversy — where employees debate ideas in a psychologically safe environment — fosters innovation and collaborative problem-solving (De Dreu, 2008).

Conclusion

Many systemic and functional challenges contribute to realistic and unrealistic workplace conflict. Balancing and prioritizing workplace challenges requires a nuanced approach. Employers, supervisors, and line workers must recognize the interconnectedness of issues like communication, power imbalances, and psychological safety. All must find ways to accommodate and cooperate within the general collaboration framework.

Discussing, exploring, and Initiating agreed-upon strategic solutions in a step-by-step, prioritized, and sequential process would be a movement in the right direction.

* Note: A pdf copy of this article can be found at:

https://www.mcl-associates.com/downloads/resolving_issues_with_your_boss_part18A.pdf

References

Chan, M. (2016). The relationship between workload allocation and job satisfaction in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 38(3), 322-337.

Cortina, L. M., Kabat-Farr, D., Leskinen, E. A., Huerta, M., & Magley, V. J. (2013). Selective incivility as modern discrimination in organizations: Evidence and impact. Journal of Management, 39(6), 1579-1605.

De Dreu, C. K. W. (2008). The Virtue and Vice of Workplace Conflict: Food for (Pessimistic) Thought. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29(1), 5–18.

LeBlanc, M. M., & Barling, J. (2004). Workplace Aggression. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(1), 9–12.

Lefcowitz, M. J. (2022, JUL. 17). Business Transition Blog. Retrieved from MCL & Associates: https://www.mcl-associates.com/eleven-good-reasons-for-daily-standups_part5.html

Lefcowitz, M. J. (2024, NOV. 02). Business Transition Blog. Retrieved from MCL & Associates: https://www.mcl-associates.com/a_guide_to_shaping_productive_workplace_behavior.html

Li, J., & Karakowsky, L. (2018). Cultural malleability in an East Asian context: The role of cultural accommodation and communication in cross-cultural manager-subordinate interactions. Journal of Business and Psychology, 33(3), 387-407.

Myers, K. K., & Sadaghiani, K. (2010). Millennials in the Workplace: A Communication Perspective on Millennials’ Organizational Relationships and Performance. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(2), 225–238.

Nembhard, I. M., & Edmondson, A. C. (2006). Making it safe: The effects of leader inclusiveness and professional status on psychological safety and improvement efforts in health care teams. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(7), 941-966.

Samnani, A.-K., & Singh, P. (2016). Workplace Bullying: Considering the Interaction Between Individual and Work Environment. Journal of Business Ethics, 139(3), 537–549.

Spreitzer, G. M. (1995). Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace: Dimensions, Measurement, and Validation. The Academy of Management Journal, 38(5), 1442–1465.

Taylor, S. G., Bedeian, A. G., & Kluemper, D. H. (2012). Linking workplace incivility to citizenship performance: The combined effects of affective commitment and conscientiousness. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(7), 878–893.

Venkatesh, V., & Bala, H. (2008). Technology acceptance model 3 and a research agenda on interventions. Decision Sciences, 39(2), 273-315.

While listening to an audiobook on the Medici by Paul Strathern, I was presented with a historical citation that I knew to be incredibly inaccurate. In a chapter entitled, "Godfathers of the Scientific Renaissance". discussing the apocryphal tale of Galileo's experiment conducted from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the author cites Neil Armstrong in the Apollo 11 flight to the Moon with its memorable modern recreation, using a hammer and a feather.

Attributing this famous experiment to Armstrong on Apollo 11 is incorrect. It occurred on August 2, 1971, at the end of the last EVA of Apollo 15, presented by Astronaut Dave Scott. To press the point further, Scott used a feather from a very specific species: a falcon's feather. This small piece of trivia is memorable since Scott accompanied by crew member Al Worden arrived on the Lunar surface using the Lunar Module christened, "Falcon".

In an instant, the author's faux pas – for me -- undercut the book's entire validity. In an instant, it soured my listening enjoyment.

Mr. Strathern is approximately a decade my senior. As a well-published writer and historian, it is presumed that he subscribes to the professional standards of careful research and accuracy. Given this well-documented piece of historical modern trivia, I cannot fathom how he got it so wrong. Moreover, I cannot figure out how such an egregious error managed to go unscathed through what I assumed was a standard professional proofreading and editing process.

If the author and the publisher’s many editorial staff had got this single incontrovertible event from recent history wrong, what other counterfactual information did the book contain?

What is interesting to me, is my own reaction or -- judging from this narrative – some might say, my over-reaction to a fairly common occurrence. Why was I so angry? Why could I not just shake it off with a philosophical, ironic shake of the head?

And that is the point: accidental misinformation, spin and out-and-out propaganda -- and the never-ending stream of lies, damned lies, and unconfirmed statistics whose actual methodology is either shrouded or not even attempted -- are our daily fare. At some point, it is just too much to suffer in silence.

I have had enough of it.

God knows I do not claim to be a paragon of virtue. I told lies as a child, to gloss over personal embarrassments, though I quickly learned that I am not particularly good at deception. I do not like it when others try to deceive me. I take personal and professional pride in being honest about myself and my actions.

Do I make mistakes and misjudgments personally and professionally? Of course, I do. We all do. Have I done things for which I am ashamed? Absolutely. Where I have made missteps in my life, I have taken responsibility for my actions, and have apologized for my actions, or tried to explain them if I have the opportunity to do so.

For all of these thoughtless self-centered acts, I can only move forward. There is nothing I can do about now except to try to do grow and be a better human being in all aspects of my life. That's all any of us can do. I try to treat others as I wish to be treated: with honesty and openness about my personal and private needs, and when I am able to accommodate the wants and needs of those who have entered the orbit of my life.

We all have a point of view. Given the realities of human psychology and peer pressures to conform, it is not surprising that I or anyone else would surrender something heartfelt without some sort of struggle. However, we have a responsibility to others -- and to ourselves -- to not fabricate a narrative designed to misinform, or manipulate others.

Lying is a crime of greed, only occasionally punished when uncovered in a court of law
I am sick to death with liars, “alternative facts” in all their varied plumages and their all too convenient camouflage of excuses and rationales. While I am nowhere close to removing this class of humans from impacting my life, I think it is well past the time to start speaking out loud about our out-of-control culture of pathological untruthfulness openly.

Lying about things that matter -- in all its many forms, both overt and covert -- is unacceptable. When does lying matter? When you are choosing to put your self-interest above someone else’s through deceit.

Some might call me a "sucker" or "hopelessly naive". I believe that I am neither. Our species - as with all living things -- is caught in a cycle of both competition and cooperation
We both compete and cooperate to survive.

There is a sardonic observation, “It’s all about mind over matter. If I no longer mind, it no longer matters”. This precisely captures the issue that we all must face: the people who disdainfully lie to us – and there are many – no longer mind. We – the collective society of humanity no longer matter, if for them we ever did.

We are long past the time when we all must demand a new birth of social norms. We all have the responsibility to maintain them and enforce them in our own day-to-day lives. Without maintaining the basic social norms of honesty and treating others as you wish to be treated in return, how can any form of human trust take place?