A large number of internal disciplinary inquiries in the SA workplace are little more than compliance items, ticking real or perceived boxes of minimum required legal steps to at least create a semblance of procedural fairness.
These inquiries are noticeably attended to very late in the deterioration of the working relationship between the parties.
They are begrudgingly put together and executed by untrained or undertrained staff, or outsourced to people who are often confidently using, and advising the use, of outdated and harmful processes and strategies.
It is often measurably apparent that the manner in which these inquiries are put together and completed creates and perpetuates secondary internal workplace conflicts.
It creates or deepens workplace power silos, gossip and perceptions, brand risks and polarisation that manifests operationally at a later stage.
The positives of constructive resolution of workplace conflicts, the early detection of harmful relationships and management patterns and the retention of valuable staff are all, or mostly, lost in this process, partly because senior management knows no better way, and have nothing to compare the attritional process to.
Destructive internal processes dragged into public scrutiny at formal dispute resolution forums become an accepted part of management strategy, to the point where it is even budgeted for.
Internal workplace conflict is seen, and managed, as an unavoidable hazard of doing business, and losses of productivity, efficient teamwork, loyalty and workplace harmony are justified and rationalised away.
Even in instances where the termination of the workplace relationship is the best conflict outcome, the process is so mismanaged as to leave the affected employees with lasting resentment and regret, often in itself becoming a trigger for retribution via dismissal applications, social media campaigns and so on.
This undoubtedly has a negative socio-political effect on our country.
Global best practices on understanding, managing, resolving or transforming workplace conflict have changed and improved so drastically in recent years, and these methods are so effective, so easily implemented, that it is disappointing to see how far SA lags behind in showing, and implementing, a real and sustained interest in truly upgrading these systems and processes.
Ironically, such an upgrade is not a favour or another fad.
It is measurably better business, even assessed through a purely commercial lens.
Given the pressures most SA businesses are under constantly, this is an important aspect of their business that our employers and their advisers can actually take control of.
You can contact Andre Vlok at andre@conflict1.co.za
The Herald