Accountability and the HR Marble

By George Klassen, CHRP 

Conflict resolution, issue handling and employee relations all share a common thread, which is that many leaders would rather not indulge in this often stressful part of their daily practice. Don't get me wrong, there are HR professionals that enjoy a good debate, they relish a back and forth battle of wits, but generally speaking, this is NOT the most favourite part of their game. 

So why is conflict resolution so difficult, and why are conflict-based competencies not commonly embraced by some leaders and HR practitioners? Over time, troubleshooting competencies and mediation skills can be learned and leaders can become proficient in managing this part of their role. Years in leadership provide street creds that allow us to experience and fail, and then learn and change our approach to ensure a different outcome the next time around. But what about our junior leaders - and I'm not talking about age - who move into leadership or HR roles, which require managing behavioural issues in the workplace, but who have not had the opportunities to learn from past practices?

View full article in the Spring 2015 issue of HRmatters