What to do when handling a rowdy colleague at workplace A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning – African Proverb. Most successful trade persons know that patience to a sound mind do not go hand in hand and trials that come along with doing business can make a grown man cry. Nonetheless, when your patience is tried by an employee, or subordinate, is when you truly must use your skills as a manager or leader to calm the situation and appear to be the bigger one. The recent most expensive and talked about work place violence incident in Kenyan politics is the Kidero–Shebesh slap. Workplace violence has been present and will continue to persist since the inception of business, ranging from abusive verbal comments to physical altercations. Understanding who you are, where you have come from and what you are capable of should be instilled individually and preached at work places to reduce violent incidents. The bad news about this type of violence in today’s world is that it can affect business growth, have unexpected financial impact from lawsuits, business closures, property damage and a simple incidence can cause a bad case of reputation damage with affected future prospects. Years ago it was believed, when one has power in his hands, he had no need to lie – he could choose to use violence, but, if we understand that violence, even when it is for good intention will always rebound to oneself, – then we will start to re-think how to handle tempers to foster good business relations. Testimony from peers show Ms Shebesh as abrasive and from this, Dr Kidero must have at least known that working or getting close to her risks sparking off violent emotions. The fact that the slap might or might not have been warranted from a reasonable point of view does not matter anymore –Dr Kidero will surely get the raw end of the business deal here. The working environment is a constant battle; human resources personnel and management come up with ways to improve employee morale and foster team work – but the truth is, the morale and team spirit must come from the employees themselves. We all have to work and sometimes we do not even have to like or get along with our workmates, but for the sake of sustainable growth and individual integrity, we choose to get to know whom we are working for and with, towards a common goal – almost like some dysfunctional marriages – where, the man no longer loves the woman, but because they have children and might have invested in businesses together – they decide to put their differences aside and work towards raising their children while building a business empire. Once you understand who you are and what you want and how you want it – no one can stop you but yourself. Working with emotional intelligence and using it over your employer, employee, or subordinate can show the difference between mastery and mediocrity. In the business world there are different types of workplace violence; conflict via personal relations – this is when a spouse or friend from an employee’s outside circles comes to the workplace and disrupts the job environment – usually to shame the individual or make a scene. Worker to worker violence – for example Kidero-Shebesh saga; violence from customers, like a fraudulent business that has duped clients and they demand their rights violently and the last being, the common thugs, who walk into a business premise to steal. No matter what type of violence in the workplace out there – we, as individuals are the only ones that can correct it and foster economic growth with personal integrity. Poverty is truly indeed the worst form of violence and if we are all against it then we shall overcome petty differences and make an impact change both in business and in the budding economy of our great nation. Ms Munywoki is the director of African Cultural Festival - East African Chamber
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:00:00 +0000
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