News & Support 3

1. News and Support
No 3 — September 2010
“Working with Difference” - Making a Difference
Editorial Upward Bullying—An HR manager recently refused
News & Support will now be circulated at the be- to accept an accusation of bullying made by a manager
ginning of each month. against a member of her own staff team. She was told that
upward bullying does not exist, because the manager
It has been very busy since the last issue, with
plenty of response from both News & Support always has the power on her side.
and the Equality Edge blog. Many thanks to the Bullying is a power issue, but it maybe other than
respondents for taking the time to make contact. hierarchical power. In this circumstance the social and
Social media is proving to be a valuable addition cultural power was all with the junior member of staff.
to Equality Edge’s information circulation. HR personnel must understand that bullying, as an
expression of power, can exist within all interpersonal
relationships, irrespective of management level or
Getting on Better - A Case Study organisational position.
Some months ago, I was asked to mediate between a manager
and his newly appointed deputy. He had been accused of
using inappropriately endearing language towards her despite A Global Perspective
having been asked to stop. It had continued until she decided How does selling a product or service abroad differ from
to take out a grievance against him. selling locally? This question was recently asked of Equality
The power in the relationship appeared to be with him; a Edge during a workshop. Why should there be any difference
white, 58 year old man and the manager, she was a 27 year was the response. You have to understand the needs of the
old black woman and the deputy. customers, individually and as a whole market, in the same
way you do when selling in the UK.
However, neither of them acknowledged their full diversity.
He suggested he had no diversity; not recognising the The advice given was to remember that the global market is
influence of his working-class, poorly educated background or made up of countless local markets. What is essential is to
the fact that he was brought up in London's End by recognise and understand that people in different parts of the
market-trader parents, where "love" and "darling" were part of world have cultural and social differences you must respond
everyday speech patterns. The use of this language was a part to. If you do then overseas markets can open up for you.
of his identity. He failed to recognise the impact his
background had on his behaviour.
She, on the other hand, was degree educated and middle class,
Top Equality Tips for Managers
having explored language and its impact. During coaching 1. Always be clear and unambiguous. Lack of clarity is a certain
sessions she explained how his language clashed with her recipe to being misunderstood or misrepresented. Check out
sense of being a strong women. She described the historical that your staff have understood the messages you give.
perspective of cultural and gender subjugation and how she 2. Know your own prejudices. No-one is free of all prejudices, so
felt his language belittled her identity. She never acknowledge
make sure you know where yours are. If you are able to
the power associated with her education and use of language.
recognise and name a prejudice, it is far less likely to present
Once they had recognised the complexity of their respective itself. Don’t forget a prejudice in action is discrimination.
positions they were able to reach an amicable solution. He
agreed to stop using the terms of endearment, though knew it 3. Never be too proud to apologise. A simple “sorry” is a powerful
would be hard and might slip up occasionally (58 years of management tool. Apologising gains staff respect.
socialised learning does not change overnight) and she
withdrew the grievance. They agreed to keep communicating Equality Edge Social Media Details
about their relative differences.
Twitter - @Equality_Edge with regular daily posts
Through a “Working with Difference” intervention, the LinkedIn - Michael Lassman daily updates
conflict was resolved and with both protagonists benefiting
from a deeper understanding of the position of ‘the other’.
Blog - equalityedge.wordpress.com weekly posts
The Equality Edge “Working with Difference” project can help repair dysfunctional or awkward manage-
rial relationships. Sometimes people need help and support in getting the best out of management and
supervision. A brief coaching course, for an individual or small group can help maximise the benefit of
management time and increase effectiveness. Please contact for a no-obligation, confidential discussion.
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