I'd better do an exercise: I'll look back and review some things.
I'm lucky enough to work in one place my entire life -- quite conservative luck of my part -- the fact is, these 28 years have been full of fast-paced roller coasters, the surprise discovery of a "Holy Grail," and some epic clashes with Sauron, a dark lord who chased little hobbits with big feet... translating my crazy analogies: everything has been nothing more than a process of accumulation, management and execution of various objectives that perfect your professional career inextricably linked to the ability to socialize with a large team of people who manage very competitive interests and work methods in order to satisfy clients who should not underestimate the technical-research value of a good agrochemical podiatrist service -- A rather long text, I know. 🥺 --
But that's not the point, and sorry, I don't want to bore you either. I just want to introduce one of the topics that our host @galenkp always brings us for the weekend.
"How do you manage conflict in the workplace? Explain it with examples. Use your own photographs.
In the workplace we spend more than 30% of our lives,it may not seem like much when you look at it that way,but it's enough to cause unexpected friction and some uncomfortable differences with our colleagues for eight hours a day,, because human nature is fickle , varied, and in the middle of all that is the fight to make your ideas and arguments prevail instead of reaching well-discussed and accepted consensuses.
Man in an egotistical, maybe I am like that myself and I don't realize it.
Conflicts by nature.
Not all labor conflicts are due to interpersonal problems; other types of problems are also interpreted as acute conflicts.
Eighteen years ago I began to lead one of the most difficult groups within my institution mainly because almost all of its technicians were/are women, and at that time most had small children or were pregnant.It was clear that this was a problem for me institutionally.
We know that women contribute the most beautiful thing in the world: human life itself, and for that reason alone they deserve a lot of respect, admiration and consideration.
But when they work in a place surrounded by dangerous reagents for themselves and their baby, and they do not also have the appropriate means of protection, the situation is a real headache.
Please don't judge me wrong: No industry is going to stop production for a woman expecting a baby.
Debating between the professional and the human cost me a very painful lockjaw that did not let me rest at night, the pressure shot up at every board of directors, I noticed that I was quite aggressive at certain times, and being always on the defensive became a problem that could significantly affect even my marriage.
How to handle a conflict that legally protects a pregnant woman and creates productive chaos that the company itself must resolve?
I tried to find alternative solutions, I transferred them to other less dangerous positions, I hired staff to cover the licenses, I increased the production standards by lines,and I joined others on a schedule basis, everything impossible to maintain production without increasing the cost of them.
The thing is that there was no contingency plan when we should have one, something like a cost center that is activated as soon as a woman of fertile age is nominally detected, that would cushion the economic expenditure in a company with this situation, and would give it a break for its managers.
I don't know if I did enough, but we survived.
Motivational conflicts.
Disinterest affects me, one of the causes that most negatively affects the activity of a company is the lack of motivation of its staff.
Sometimes I perceive myself as intense, demanding, uncompromising and passionate, especially in my profession, and I check myself a little because I question that capitalist personality that sometimes persecutes me and accuses me of being part of a society that suffers from paternalism and inadequately protects to inefficient staff.
I have suffered a lot from living with people who are not concerned with understanding the genesis of their work with the sole purpose of being better specialists.This immobility has caused me some discomfort with very dear colleagues, because I realize that they do not do the tasks well. things no matter how hard they try.
Being a true professional is a virtue highly valued by employers.
Personally, sometimes I use to be too frank and I tend not to overlook mistakes that would cost the credibility of our work, that is why a few years ago I planned improvement courses for the technicians in my group, and in that way they would raise their level of professionalism, and although some took it very well, others not so much.
Excuses for things done poorly only speak of the weakness of character, and the little importance that some give to their lifestyle, because your profession is closely linked to who you are.
The day I have my own company I will know how to value my staff very well (thoughts scattered around there 😁)
Conflicts with the high command.
Everyone gets nervous when a ministerial visit is announced, your legs and voice literally tremble, I admit that my voice did not tremble but my legs did.
A guy who is very high up and knows it all, advisor to the president they say, and in the meetings he shoots anyone with his uncomfortable questions.
He also travels with an entourage, depending on the places where he announces himself, his technical NCOs must accompany him... I imagine that anywhere in the world it must be like that...
The thing is, I had to explain to the good gentleman the functionality of the analysis laboratory, the standards and procedures, and the latest technology received for research projects on soil micro elements and clay minerals.
But, to him it all seemed inadequate and obsolete.
I remember a very nice periodic table framed in its glass on the wall, and he looked at it sideways and said that the table was old of date.
- That's right sir, we have no way to update it, there are no permissions to access the Internet--I answered him automatically.
My national director looked at me nervously, and with his look I understood him not to say anything more on the matter.
I waited diligently for him to ask me which clays could be determined through the state-of-the-art analytical microwave, while I showed him the hollow cathode lamps of the atomic absorption equipment.
And in a second, the only question that came out of his mouth was that I did know the scientific name of the common bean.
¡Praise the lord!,
is he making fun of me?
The entourage stared seriously at me, anxious and alarmed that I might not be able to answer the question, I breathed in, exhaled as I tried to regain my damn calm.
Phaseolus vulgaris
In a second they laughed and clapped like seals, while I ended my visit to Neverland accompanied by Peter Pan and his dear friends.
I will never again participate in such a degrading act until someone comes along who respects what others do with love and affection - these were my last words to the director --
This is my entry for the weekend engagement, if you are interested in participating please follow the link below
I apologize if the last photo I reused from a previous post, I can't seem to check my feed.
Always very grateful for your reading.
The text is entirely my own
All photos are my property
Using the Lightroom application, free version
Translation done with Deep Translate, free version
