Anti Oppression Management - PDF - PDF

							                                    TNO
Anti-Oppression, Access
   & Inclusion Policy
  Leadership Training
                          March 2 & 3, 2010

   Competence Consultants & Associates
     Adapted from Adobe Consulting and Competence Consultants & Associates March 2010
Outcomes
   Building on the work of the last training to create
    advanced knowledge to support leadership skills to
    implement the Anti-Oppression, Access & Inclusion
    Policy framework;

   To build skills regarding policy and investigations
    management;

   To prepare managers and members of the Staff
    Equity Committee to lead Organizational Change at
    TNO consistent with the Anti-Oppression, Access &
    Inclusion Policy framework.


                       Competence Consultants &      2
                        Associates, March 2010
Introduce yourself:

 Name

 Position

 One  word that describes
 how you are feeling about
 the training today

             Competence Consultants &   3
              Associates, March 2010
Ground Rules

    Generosity of spirit
    Fair, respectful and equitable treatment
     towards all
    Listen carefully to each other
    Balance participation
    Take care of yourself
    Harassment, discrimination or any other
     form of conflict will be named and
     processed…
    People who cannot follow these ground
     rules will be asked to leave the session.
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Internal Context
   Organizations values and commitments
    • Leadership Roles and Responsibilities
    • Legislative/Policy Compliance
    • Mission and Scope of Operations
    • Anti-Oppression Policy - Non-Discrimination
   Client profile
   Employee profile
   Past, current and future desired climate

                    Competence Consultants &   5
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External Context
   Populations served
   Service Outcomes
   Systemic Barriers
   Legislation
   Professional Compliance
   Best practices


                 Competence Consultants &   6
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Purpose of the Policy
   ensure that all employees, volunteers and clients are aware
    that all forms of oppression are expressly prohibited;
   outlines employee and organizational rights and responsibilities
   equitable treatment for all members of our organization;
   barrier-free access to client services and employment, as well
    as employment and student placement or volunteer
    opportunities;
   enhancement of the quality of life of our clients, staff, students
    and volunteers through dignity and respect;
   celebrates and embraces the richness of ethno-cultural
    diversity among our clients, volunteers, students and staff.




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                            Associates, March 2010
Leadership/Policy Role
   Communicating policy expectations and ensuring compliance.
   vigilance in identifying and addressing all forms of oppression
   Climate setting among employees and role modeling policy
    expectations in the work environment.
   Making all employees feel equal and fairly treated under your
    leadership.
   Being aware of and managing power – the often subtle ways it
    is at play in making employees feel uncomfortable, harassed
    and discriminated against.
   Intervening pro-actively, strategically and effectively in disputes.
   Conflict mediation and resolution between employees.
   Fact finding and investigations?




                           Competence Consultants &             8
                            Associates, March 2010
Identifying Competencies


   Find a partner
   Complete Leadership Competencies
    Worksheet in your workbook
   Share any highlights from your
    conversation




                Competence Consultants &   9
                 Associates, March 2010
Responsibilities of Executive
Directors and Managers
 The leadership of an organization has a critical role to play in the
 success of organizational change required by the Anti-Oppression
 Policy framework. The acknowledgement of power is crucial. In the
 book “Dancing on Live Embers” Tina Lopes and Barb Thomas outline
 some concrete challenges that leadership must be willing to risk to
 implement and sustain a process of organizational transformation.
  •   Taking full responsibility for the organizationally conferred power that they
      do have
  •   Using this power in ways that have not been rewarded in the past, and may
      run the risk of being punished in the future
  •   Accepting that their efforts to collaborate with people with less
      organizational power may be viewed with mistrust for some time
  •   A willingness to be vulnerable to criticism, to asking for help and to making
      mistakes
  •   Courage to discuss and challenge their own prejudices
  •   It is extremely important that organizational leaders are able to be honest
      with them selves about how they maintain their power and regularly check
      in with those with less organizational power than they have.


                              Competence Consultants &                   10
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Personal, Professional, Political
Personal
 Our own behaviours, beliefs
 How we use our power and privilege in our day to
  day interactions with other individuals
Professional
 How our own behaviours, beliefs manifest at work
 How we use our power and privilege to ensure
  access for others, culturally competent practice and
  organizational accountability
Political
 Action at the institutional level to address systemic
  inequality

                     Competence Consultants &     11
                      Associates, March 2010
Video Scenario Warm-up

 What   are the issues in the
  scenario?
 Is there conflict and if so what are
  the factors that are contributing to
  the conflict?


              Competence Consultants &   12
               Associates, March 2010
Conflict Exercise

Stand up if you:
    • Enjoy conflict
    • Have never had conflict
    • Have resolved conflicts
    • Have more conflicts than you like
    • Hate dealing with conflict
    • Are in the middle of a conflict
    • Have developed skills over the years to deal with conflict
    • Wish you could handle conflict differently
    • What do you notice about the results of this exercise?

                         Competence Consultants &           13
                          Associates, March 2010
Conflict
   a disagreement through which the parties
    involved perceive a threat to their needs,
    interests or concerns.




                   Competence Consultants &   14
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Competence Consultants &   15
 Associates, March 2010
         Four Sources of Conflict
   Facts/lnformation

   Methods/Styles

   Goals/Expectation

   Values


                  Competence Consultants &   16
                   Associates, March 2010
A word about Power
   Power plays a role in most conflicts
   predominant understanding of power is the
    competitive "power over" view - the ability to
    compel someone to do something.
   Power conflicts are then viewed as win-lose
    competitions
   Conflicts are fundamentally about balancing
    power.


                    Competence Consultants &   17
                     Associates, March 2010
Disadvantages of Conflict
   Diverts energy from important issues
   Entrenches positions
   Alienates individuals
   Creates defensiveness
   Polarizes relationships
   Shuts down new learning
   Impedes the work


                 Competence Consultants &   18
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Uses of power
   Power Over – Domination or force gained from physical strength,
    weapons, greater wealth, resources, information or greater control of the
    decision making and communication mechanisms of society.

   Power Within – Centredness or ones’ grounding in ones own beliefs,
    wisdom, knowledge, skills, culture, community.

   Power With – Power exercised cooperatively amoung equals: authority
    that is the wisdom, creativity, or expression of a group’s energy, which is
    recognized and agreed to by others as right at a certain time.
     •   It is the ability to bond in solidarity as equals, to struggle collectively towards a shared
         goal.
     •   Power-with is evidenced organizationally in effective team work and participatory
         decision making processes.

   Power–with is indeed the goal to strive towards for successful
    organizational change

                                      Competence Consultants &                            19
                                       Associates, March 2010
Advantages of Conflict
     Clarifies issues
     Generates creative solutions – “outside the
      box thinking”
     Creates “buy-in” for solutions
     Builds relationships
     Creates authentic communication
     Empowers individuals
     Creates an opportunity for new learning

                   Competence Consultants &   20
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Conflict Resolution Skills
   Set a positive environment

   Clarify the issue

   Explore Interests

   Resolution

                  Competence Consultants &   21
                   Associates, March 2010
Dispute Scenario
   Pramela, reports to you that her supervisor, Sharmini, is giving her a
    hard time, giving her undesirable work assignments, criticizing her
    work and being rude to her in private. Pramela tells you that other
    workers in the area do the work exactly the same way as she does,
    but the supervisor is always criticizing the way she is doing it. She
    knows that other employees are aware that she's being treated
    unfairly. Pramela feels that Sharmini who is from Guyana may be
    treating her this way because according to her “Those Guyanese don’t
    like us Sri Lankans, even though they don’t even have any culture.”
    When you mention this to Sharmini in response to her concern that
    Pramela seems to have a “chip on her shoulder,” Sharmini laughs and
    says, “ I didn’t even know that Pramela was from Sri Lanka. But now
    that you mention it, it explains a lot about her bad attitude.”




                            Competence Consultants &              22
                             Associates, March 2010
Scenario debrief
   Are there any violations of policy or legislation?
   Are there any aspects of the dispute that would
    make it difficult for you to respond to or resolve the
    dispute?
   What information do you need?
   What else might be going on that would affect how
    you would address this situation?
   What would have been helpful to prevent the
    dispute from occurring



                     Competence Consultants &       23
                      Associates, March 2010
Receiving the Complaint
   Submitted in writing or verbally (documented
    by manager/staff equity member) complaint
    details must include:
    •   Nature of the complaint
    •   Specific incidents of the complaint
         • What happened, When, Where, Who involved?
    •   Names of any witnesses to the alleged incident
    •   Specific information that the witnesses are expected to
        provide
    •   Wherever possible dates and times should be
        reflected as accurately as possible throughout the
        complaint.
    •   Signed by complainant

                         Competence Consultants &       24
                          Associates, March 2010
Responding to the Complaint
   Review and ensure adherence to timelines
   Notify the alleged offender (respondent)
   Advise parties of their right to have Staff Equity support
   Notify and consult with the Executive/Director
   Determine interim step options, i.e. mediation
   Conduct fact finding investigation
    •   Interview respondent and witnesses
   Determine resolution
   Notify Executive/Director
   Notify parties of outcome and remedies



                         Competence Consultants &         25
                          Associates, March 2010
Interviewing Witnesses
   Thoroughly interview both the complainant and
    the respondent/s.
   The respondent/s should be given the
    opportunity to respond to each of the specific
    allegations raised by the complainant.
   Interview any relevant witnesses identified by
    either the complainant or the respondent/s
   Gather any relevant documents. Proper notes
    should be taken during interviews.

                    Competence Consultants &   26
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Information to gather
   The names of those involved that each witness is aware
    of;
   date, time and place of alleged incident/s;
   details of what occurred and the order;
   whether it was a one-off incident or part of a series of
    incidents;
   what impact the incident/s has had on the complainant
    and on his/her ability to work;
   how the complainant felt after the incident/s;
   what steps the complainant had taken to resolve the
    situation;
   what the complainant’s preferred solution is.


                        Competence Consultants &       27
                         Associates, March 2010
Refusal to participate


   Witnesses may fear the consequences of
    participating, especially if the investigation
    centres on bullying, discrimination or
    harassment. Witnesses may need particular
    reassurance on several points:
    • who the likely recipients of the report are;
    • what could happen as a result of the
        investigation;
    •   how the organisation will support them if their
        fears about participating are realised.

                       Competence Consultants &   28
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Report Writing
   The investigator should prepare a report
    summarizing:
    • the allegations,
    • the steps taken during the investigation,
    • and the evidence gathered.
   The report may make findings of fact and
    recommendations for further action, or
    these functions may be assigned
    elsewhere.

                    Competence Consultants &      29
                     Associates, March 2010
Options
   Determining informal resolution such as
    mediation
    • When the facts are not disparate,
    • When the relationship is valued,
    • When both parties are willing,
    • When it's not a human rights issue,
    • When there are no criminal violations,
    • Where there is not a safety risk.
                    Competence Consultants &   30
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Options
   Engaging an external investigator
    • Where mediation is not appropriate or is not
        successful
    •   Dispute requires someone more
        knowledgeable about:
         • human rights issues and principles in general,
         • the requirements of the Code;
         • the organization’s anti-harassment/anti-
           discrimination policy and complaints procedure;
           and
         • methods for conducting investigations.
                        Competence Consultants &        31
                         Associates, March 2010
Determining appropriate sanctions


   Take into account the nature of the violation of
    the Policy, its severity, and whether the
    individual has previously violated the Policy.
   Take any steps necessary to repair the effects
    of the discrimination or harassment on the
    complainant, and to prevent any further
    recurrences of harassment or discrimination
    within the organization.
   Follow principles of progressive discipline

                     Competence Consultants &   32
                      Associates, March 2010
Potential Sanctions
   An apology
   Counselling
   Education and training
   Verbal or written reprimand
   Suspension with pay
   Suspension without pay
   Transfer
   Termination of employment


                   Competence Consultants &   33
                    Associates, March 2010
Systemic implications
   The organization should consider
    whether the complaint reveals any
    broader issues that should be
    addressed. The investigation may, for
    example, point to specific barriers in the
    workplace, a perception of systemic
    discrimination, or a need for further
    training on particular human rights
    issues. If so, the organization should
    take steps to remedy the problem.
                   Competence Consultants &   34
                    Associates, March 2010
Best Practice Guidelines
   Confidentiality – clarify parties who may need to be
    informed, including storage of documentation
   Document at every step
   Freedom from reprisal
   A thorough, fair and impartial process
   Complaints taken seriously and acted upon promptly
   The complaint procedure must ensure a healthy work
    environment is created and maintained for the
    complainant
   Decisions/actions taken by the organization must be
    communicated to the parties


                       Competence Consultants &       35
                        Associates, March 2010
HUMAN RIGHTS CODE HIGHLIGHTS

 Equality means treating people equitably.
 Employees & Volunteers are “Agents.”

 Leadership roles are “Directing Minds.”

 We are held liable for the “impact” we cause
  regardless of our “intent.”
 It is your right to let someone or the
  organization know something is wrong
  without fear of bad treatment as a result.
 Appropriate direction, evaluation, appraisal or
  discipline by a supervisor or manager is not
  harassment.
                  Competence Consultants &   36
                   Associates, March 2010
Bill 168 Implications


    Under Bill 168, workplace violence is defined as:
       •   “The exercise of physical force by a person against a worker in a
           workplace that causes or could cause physical injury to a worker”
       •   “An attempt to exercise physical force against a worker in a workplace that
           could cause physical injury to a worker”
       •   “A statement or behaviour that is reasonable for a worker to interpret as a
           threat to exercise physical force against the worker, in a workplace, that
           could cause physical injury to the worker.”
    Under Bill 168, workplace harassment is defined as:
       •   “A course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a
           workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be
           unwelcome”
    The employer must respond when aware of domestic
     violence that may expose a worker to physical injury in the
     workplace.

    Competence Consultants & Associates, March 2010                                      37
Scenario debrief
   Are there any violations of policy or legislation?
   Are there any aspects of the dispute that would
    make it difficult for you to respond to or resolve the
    dispute?
   What information do you need?
   What else might be going on that would affect how
    you would address this situation?
   What would have been helpful to prevent the
    dispute from occurring



                     Competence Consultants &       38
                      Associates, March 2010
Me in my role! Key
Commitments
    The purpose of making key commitments is to remind
    ourselves of what we have learned and promised to
    do. It is an aspect of personal and professional
    accountability and down the road in three months or so, I
    would like for you to return to the key commitments you
    have made and see if you have honoured them
   Make three key commitments to yourself based on what
    you have learned today.
   Please make three key commitments of behaviour
    change or actions that you will apply in your role as a
    manager or Staff Equity Association member.


                         Competence Consultants &    39
                          Associates, March 2010
Q&A and Wrap Up
   Questions
   Evaluations
   Adjourn


                          Thank
                          You!
                  Competence Consultants &   40
                   Associates, March 2010