How organisations manage change is a critical activity. Key to this is how employees and their representatives get their voices heard.
In unionised workplaces, consultation and negotiation are the traditional processes used. Sometimes, these processes don't help the parties reach a conclusion but rather than register a dispute, fail to agree or accept a compromise, both parties want to keep working on a solution. They may find themselves trapped in a cycle of poor negotiation where change seems impossible, everyone is fatigued, despair and cynicism set in, and nothing changes.
In these types of situations, I have suggested a different approach – one that focuses on understanding perspectives, gathering evidence and being curious. Joint problem-solving is a process worth exploring. It is based on trust between union reps and leaders. If trust is low, there are benefits of spending time working on smaller problems to build confidence.
There are many things to think about before you start on this approach – clearly defining the problem, agreeing who is best placed to take part in terms of skills and experience, finding a trusted facilitator, agreeing the life span of the group, clarifying the ground rules and agreeing who signs off recommendations. It needs to be a structured approach, usually small groups of equal numbers of managers and employee reps, with knowledge of the problem, open minded and prepared to listen to others and focused on actions not speeches.
The facilitator is critical, independent of the members of the problem solving team and trusted by both parties. They keep everyone focussed, sticking to timescales and processes, following up actions, dealing with differences between members and guiding the process.
I have worked with union representatives who are problem solvers, they see this as a significant and influential role, they speak for the people they represent, understand the roles in the organisation and how change will impact how these roles are performed. For those organisations that still believe in collective voice via unions, problem solving is a great addition to their change management approach. For unions, taking the plunge into problem solving, can give them a positive, future-focused and proactive voice in the workplace.
A problem-solving approach, in my view, is well placed to deal with some of the most challenging issues. It can be adapted to involve wider groups of employees and employee reps, demonstrating the benefits of a more democratic workplace. I can't help think that the current debate about working from home and hybrid working could have been better handled in some high-profile organisations, if employees had a say, through a structured process and were able to shape a solution that works for them and their organisation.
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