to presentation - First Nations Health Managers Association

NEIL BURROWS AND LINDA SIMON
SEPTEMBER 2014, VANCOUVER
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Overview of Lateral Violence
Two Case Studies
What We Have Learned & Moving Forward
Question & Answer
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BC, Northwest Territories, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Ontario!
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Gossip / Rumours
Undermining & Sabotage
Passive-Aggressive non verbals
No respect for lines of authority
Policy infractions
Lack of Accountability
Blaming
Create Chaos
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Poor Team-Work
Poor Communication
Defensive / Territorial (“turf wars”)
Triangulation
Controlling-type behaviours
Chaos & unpredictable
Lack of trust
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Favouritism
High staff turnover
High rate of absenteeism
Quality of service suffers
Defensive / Judgemental / Critical staff
Resistant to change (even positive)
Rigid power hierarchy
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Fear
Instability & Insecurity
Unhealthy boundaries
Head in the Sand
FIRST NATIONS GRIEVING
THE ICEBERG OF LOSS©
Addictions
Chronic
Illness
Suicide
LATERAL VIOLENCE
Symptoms
Relationship
Violence
Mental
Illness
Poverty
PARENT
-CHILD
ISSUES
I AM NOT OF VALUE Message
Community
Connection
Power &
Control
Cultural
Identity
Rights
???
Traditional
Healing &
Knowledge
Earth
Stewardship
Losses
Land
Assimilation
Oppression
Objectification
Discrimination
Attachment
Indian
Act
Forced
Relocation
Residential
School
Colonization
Causes
© Joelle McKiernan
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PRESENTING ISSUES (WHAT WAS HAPPENING?)
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WHAT WERE THE IMPACTS?
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INTERVENTION (WHAT DID WE DO?)
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PLANNING THE LATERAL VIOLENCE WORKSHOPS
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WHAT WERE THE NEXT STEPS
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WHAT WORKED / DIDN’T
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PRESENTING ISSUES (WHAT WAS HAPPENING?)
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WHAT WERE THE IMPACTS?
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INTERVENTION (WHAT DID WE DO?)
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PLANNING THE LATERAL VIOLENCE
WORKSHOPS
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WHAT WERE THE NEXT STEPS
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WHAT WORKED / DIDN’T
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Services offered by First Health Solutions that
assist organizations to deal with Lateral
Violence in an effective, respectful and
sustainable way:
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Awareness Seminars
Addressing needed Skills
Policy Development
Reinforcement of the “new culture”.
Recommended Course of Action:
◦ A two-day Workshop for all teams (ideal group size
is 12-20) that:
◦ Teaches the W5 of Lateral Violence (who, what,
where, when, why?
◦ Begins a process of self-reflection
◦ Identifies conflict-handling styles and skill deficits.
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Essential Skills required to effectively move
from away from Lateral Violence:
◦ Assertive Communication
◦ Conflict Management
◦ Shields from Lateral Violence (ie, CBT)
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Update / Revise Policy and Procedure to:
◦ Ensure inappropriate behaviours (ie., Lateral
Violence) are clearly identified;
◦ Provide specific procedures for investigation,
remediation and discipline;
◦ Ensure compliance with Labour Law
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A new “way of doing things” does not sustain
itself unless:
◦ Employees and Teams are acknowledged for
positive changes;
◦ Team-building and recognition events must outnumber disciplinary actions!
◦ Employee’s personal wellness is recognized as
crucial and is supported accordingly.
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Even at work (some would say especially at
work) we seek significance in our lives – to be
doing something of value, and to be
recognized for it.
Using the “Psychological Contracts” handout
as a starting point, work in pairs to discuss
what you strive to achieve at work, and how
you hope to be recognized for it.
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Horizontal Violence / Hostility, Internalized
Colonialism, Relational Aggression, Lateral
Violence.
“When a powerful oppressor has directed
oppression against a group for a period of time,
members of the oppressed group feel powerless
to fight back and they eventually turn their anger
against one another”
 Jane Middleton-Moz
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Passive
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Passive-Aggressive
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Aggressive
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Assertive
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Destructive
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Competitive
Accommodating
Passive - Aggressive
Passive
Aggressive
Each has a varying combination of cooperation and
assertiveness.
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Lateral Violence is but one (albeit critical)
component of a Toxic Workplace.
Other components include:
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Poor management / leadership;
Inadequate policy (or punitive);
Personality conflicts allowed to impede work;
Others?
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While Bullying is often an element of Lateral
Violence, it is often identified as personalityrelated (ie, more about the person than the
workplace); A bully may be present at a healthy
workplace but is “weeded out” quickly.
◦ Also, Bullying is not necessarily lateral, it is often
from superiors to underlings.
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Allows communities and agencies to
transition from reliance on external “experts”
to internal capacity.
16 staff / managers selected for a 4-day
Intensive Training that includes all of the
Lateral Violence curriculum, and development
of facilitation skills.
Also available is the Domestic Violence: Train
the Trainer Program.
Have a wonderful evening!
First
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Health Solutions
www.firsthealthsolutions.ca
Neil Burrows (250) 615-6863