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It’s not just HR’s job to deal with workplace conflict: it’s everyone’s. The question is: how does HR get this message across?

James Morrison was 18 and in his first real job. Going to the busy canteen for lunch, not knowing anyone, he took a seat with a group of older female workers. They were talking about “female problems”. Feeling it was perhaps inappropriate, he asked if they would not talk about such things in his presence. So they stopped. But the next day, the same thing happened. The women even found his embarrassment hilarious. James now complained to his line manager. But he too found it amusing. The same scenario continued until James left, claimed constructive dismissal, and the case went to tribunal. Can you guess who won? 

This is a fictional example. But for most of us something like this has happened. And for those involved – not just the business – it has been a costly experience (yes, James would have won – if you can call that a win). But it doesn’t have to be this way. What if, for example, one of the ladies had told her friends that enough was enough and to leave the poor lad alone? Or maybe someone else at the table had steered the initial conversation to a more appropriate subject?  Or one of the cooks had stepped in and backed the young man – with a threat of reporting them if they didn’t? 

The question, of course, is when and where speaking up is not just appropriate but necessary and important. Lindsay Soulsby, Director of workplace conflict management company People Resolutions, examines the classic bystander effect in relation to workplace conflict, and HR methods for increasing employee bystander intervention in a safe and constructive manner.

Conflict, what Conflict?

There are many types of conflict. From the everyday occurrence of non-physical things like intimidation, abuse, and threats, to the physical (punching, kicking, pushing) and the thankfully rare extreme of aggravated physical violence, taken together – in absence, in time, lost productivity and tribunals – they cost UK businesses upwards of £24 billion every single year. 

And yet most conflict can be avoided. We all know the early warning signs. But we may also think it’s not our job to intervene; that’s what line managers and HR are for, right? Yes, but they’re not always in the canteens, although they have to deal with the after-effects. Your HR and line managers – your colleagues and your organisation – need you. The problem is, although it’s ingrained in us to spot the signs, it’s equally natural for us not to want to get involved. 

The Bystander Effect

Many people have heard of the Bystander Effect, but most don’t have a clear idea of what it means.  In short, it is a psychological phenomenon, first described by John Darley and Bibb Latane in 1968, who found that, in stressful or emergency situations, bystanders will more often than not fail to offer assistance. 

Three reasons are offered: 

1. Diffusion of Responsibility – “It’s not my job/somebody else will do it.”
2. Pluralistic Ignorance – “No-one else is acting so there can’t be a problem.”
3. Audience Inhibition – “I’ll only make things worse/make a mistake.”

More recent (2009) research has backed this up. Published in the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association, a paper, “Bystander Training within Organizations” by Maureen Scully and Mary Rowe, identified more precise reasons why bystanders might fail to act within workplace settings:

• Fear of losing friendships
• Fear of loss of privacy
• Fear of ‘bad consequences’
• Fear of getting involved
• Fear of retaliation
• Fear of embarrassment (of themselves or others)

So, if there are deep-seated psychological barriers to bystander action, what can you do? The answer, as it often is, is training.

Active Bystander Training

Initially developed in the US, Active Bystander Training aims to defuse conflict at the earliest warning sign stage, both because it is easier to deal with before it gets more serious, and, as we said, because there are usually no line managers or HR staff present. 

For HR, the key is to first instil a sense of responsibility and ownership in employees; employees are much more willing to intervene if they genuinely feel that it’s ‘their workplace’, ‘their community’ and ‘their organisation’.  The next step is to concentrate on helping employees recognise conflict when they see it, teaching them how to react and intervene in a safe and positive manner and giving them the confidence to do so.  And line managers will also be trained in how to manage staff who do intervene, to ensure that their behaviour is seen as a positive example.  

Of course, this is easier said than done; a clumsy reconciliation attempt by an active bystander can easily result in an escalation or more people getting drawn in. Active Bystander Training has to be professional and consistent. But it is worth it for the business and the employees; giving employees the skills to nip things in the bud has been shown to increase employee confidence and communication skills in general, improving productivity and teamwork and giving staff a sense of shared responsibility and inclusion, which helps to reinforce a strong collaborative culture. It doesn’t rid the company of conflict, of course; people are people. But just as the costs of conflict can easily be measured, so can the benefits of bystander training.

Bystanders in the UK 

As convinced believers in the benefits of acting early – as well as applying the latest techniques – People Resolutions has developed the first UK Active Bystander Training course which allows participants to role-play, gain experience and practice their knowledge.  The course’s key themes include:

• Noticing something is happening – recognising workplace conflict and/or inappropriate behaviour
• Interpreting the situation as a conflict situation – having clear boundaries for action
• Assuming personal responsibility – through employee engagement
• Choosing a form of intervention – having clear methods of intervening or defusing the situation in a safe and constructive manner
• Implementing intervention – with confidence and sensitivity

In the US, Active Bystander Training has become a proven and popular way of empowering employees to act, not only on behalf of the business, but also on their own behalf, saving time and money for HR, and, just as importantly, helping their colleagues avoid the stress and repercussions of conflict; no one really wants conflict. But perhaps the best benefit of the training is in giving employees the genuine and positive feeling that this is their workplace, a workplace that requires a collaborative effort to thrive. 

Further Information

To learn more about the Active Bystander Training course, or if you'd like more information about this topic, please contact Jen Goss on 01908 524110 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Sources

“The Bystander Apathy Effect” http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/The_Bystander_Apathy_Effect

“Bystander Training Within Organizations” http://web.mit.edu/ombud/publications/bystander.pdf

“Bystander Effect” http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A585362