Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com October 10, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 21 BIZ BOOKS Strategies to solve your toughest problems at work "M anaging in the Gray — 5 Time- less Questions for Resolving Your Toughest Problems at Work" by Joseph L. Badaracco (Harvard Business Review Press, $35). With so many internal and external vari- ables involved, many business decisions aren't black and white choices. In such situations, judgement (i.e. balancing the analytical and human sides of decisions) comes into play when "mak- ing the call." Badaracco offers "tools for judgement" in the form of five questions to answer when faced with challenging decisions: 1. "What are the net, net consequences?" The standard mostly analytical approach to decision-making says look at options, assess their likely outcomes (i.e. solve the problem) and try to find the best option. Badaracco's "net, net" takes the process deeper on the human side of options by asking "what you will be doing for other people and to other people." The answer forces you to think about consequences of choices — both inherent and unintended. 2. "What are my core obligations?" A manager's duties include maximizing economic return to the firm. That said, a manager should recognize that tradeoffs must be considered when it comes to the impact on employees. They aren't machinery; employees are the intellectual capital that's the backbone of every business. They trust that they will be treated fairly. Trust, once lost, is difficult to regain. As such, take a "future" view of the impact of decisions on staff. "Throwing the baby out with the bathwater" will impede future growth. 3. "What will work in the world as it is?" George Doriot, widely regarded as "the father of venture capital" gave managers this advice: "If you have to choose between a great strategy with a good action plan and a good strategy with a great action plan, you should pick the second option. Keep asking what choices deal best with the reality of execution. In that regard, Badaracco points out the decision-making process can be colored by the self-interest, power and authority of oth- ers. The "coloring" process starts with their initial input, continues through selection of alternatives and influences the final deci- sion. Because outcomes always depend upon buy-in, managers should assess the perspec- tives of the others early on and find ways to address their interests throughout the pro- cess. It's about showing others that organi- zational win doesn't mean a loss for them. 4. "Who are we?" Stressing the "we" reminds managers that all decisions affect working relationships. They were built upon a shared past, and with an eye on a shared future. Managers work hard to ensure that everyone's on the same page. While the "same page" results in strong relationships, it can cause problems when making gray-area (i.e. have to turn the page) decisions. Because of team strength, a manager has to consider "which norms and values matter most" throughout the decision-making process. Badaracco makes this point with this example: There's a burning building. On one side is your child; there are three children on the other side. You can't save them all. Whom do you sacrifice? 5. "What can I live with?" Gray areas come with difficult choices and trade-offs. The answers to the first four questions form a foundation for sound decisions — "on the basis of a manager's convictions, judge- ment, and a sense of what's right for the organization in a particular set of circum- stances." The answers also define what's at stake and the challenges of problem resolu- tion when there are numerous stakeholders. Remember: "Gray-area problems are the core of a manager's work." Successfully dealing with them sends an 'I'm ready for the next challenge' message to your boss. n Jim Pawlak is a nationally syndicated book reviewer. Jim Pawlak EXPERTS CORNER Tips for tackling collective-bargaining negotiations By Christina A. Danforth T he campaign is over. The votes are in. Your employees have chosen to union- ize. It's time to undertake the arduous task of building and maintaining a collective- bargaining agreement (CBA). What does this mean exactly? Where do you begin? Here are the five key concepts you need to know about the cre- ation and implementa- tion of a CBA. 1. It's nothing new. Collective Bar- gaining is the tool or method used for establishing an agree- ment between employ- ees and an employer. If your workforce is now a union, it means they want to use the tool for negotiating the terms and conditions of the employment relationship. This form of employee collaboration has existed since before the late 19th century. It is nothing new and we should not be fearful of it. According to the AFL-CIO nearly 30,000 collective-bargaining agreements are nego- tiated each year. The Department of Labor provides an overview and examples of col- lective-bargaining agreements on its Office of Labor-Management Standards' Collective Bargaining Agreements page. 2. Understand the laws. It's important for both the union and employer to understand the guidelines set forth by key federal legislation. First, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) passed in 1935. Also referred to as the Wagner Act, it was foundational to U.S. labor law. The rights and roles of employers, employees and unions are defined and protected by the act. It guarantees employees the right to orga- nize and bargain collectively with employers through their own representatives. It also eliminated certain practices referred to as "unfair labor practices" or ULPs. For exam- ple, an employee may file a ULP complaint against a company for prohibiting them from joining a union. Another important law is the Labor Man- agement Relations Act of 1947 or the Taft- Hartley Act. It was a revision of the NLRA adding new language to give employees the right to refrain from participating in the union. The law also added a list of prohibited unfair labor-union practices. 3. Get training. There is a wealth of informa- tion online to educate yourself, your leadership team and employees. Resources from the Depart- ment of Labor can assist with understanding the process. And working with an employment law- yer will help keep everyone compliant. However, to prepare for the actual meeting between union and management, consider hosting a mock negotiation session. A mock negotiation allows participants an opportu- nity to experience a negotiation before actu- ally going through it. The Cornell University Library has a guide to mock bargaining that'll give all appropriate participants practice. 4. Build the relationship. Since employees have decided to unionize, the relationship with the employer may be under stress. It's at this time energy must be focused on building a relationship with the soon-to-be elected union officials. Communication, especially listening, is vital to building rapport. Being open and available on a day-to-day basis is also essen- tial for collaboration. The goal should be for all parties to function as a team. 5. Remember it's all perspective. What may be most important is remembering perspec- tive. Whether you are the employee, employer or union official, a benefit to one party may be seen as a drawback for another. Thus the pros and cons may actually be the same depending on the point of view. Higher wages are probably an issue for the employer but is certainly a win for the union. Understanding perspectives can significantly help with holding a smooth negotia- tion and developing a fair agreement. n Christina A. Danforth is vice president/ director professional development for the Human Resource Association of Central CT. Christina A. Danforth ▶ ▶ Gray-area problems are the core of a manager's work. Successfully dealing with them sends an 'I'm ready for the next challenge' message to your boss. Send Us Your Letters The Hartford Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and guest commentaries for our opinion pages. Electronic submissions are preferred and welcome at: editor@ HartfordBusiness.com.

• Cover