Stewarding 14 Conduct in Meeting

Stewarding Section 3: Management Engagement

Part 3: Meeting with Management

Human resources sets up the meeting to discuss Amara’s grievance in the conference room at her workplace.

For management, Trisha from HR attends along with the manager Joseph Bossy.

They show up 10 minutes late.

After awkward introductions, Trisha, opens up the meeting:

“We have reviewed the grievance that you submitted. We would like to give you the opportunity to explain more thoroughly why you would like the warning letter retracted.”

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How would you respond? (You will have the opportunity to try different responses)

Ask management questions
Argue Amara’s case
Suggest a solution
Other option

Ask management questions

What questions would you ask?

Next 1

Here are some questions you might ask:
(1) Do you keep track of when employees get to work?
(2) Do you track everyone?
(3) What harm was caused by Amara showing up to work 7 minutes past the grace period?
(4) Is there a new management effort to enforce attendance and timeliness?
(5) If so, why the new emphasis?
(6) How many other individuals have been disciplined for tardiness.

What useful information could you get from asking about how management tracks timeliness and who they are tracking?How do you think management would respond to the question: "What harm or disruption occured by Amara showing up 7 minutes past the grace period?"

Next 2

Management will probably make up some very general and unconvincing reason why Amara’s tardiness was harmful. Take good notes, this may be useful to share to expose that management might have ulterior motives.

How do you think management would respond to the question: "Would you rather have Amara call in sick next time she is going to be late?"

Next 3

They might say that they prefer that Amara comes to work. They are in effect admitting that they would rather have her violate their attendance policy than call in sick. That doesn’t make much sense to any outsider.

How do you think management would respond to the question: "How do you distribute the attendance policy and when was it last discussed with employees?

Next 4

They could say, “Good idea, we are going to post the policy in the break room and discuss it thoroughly at the next department meeting.” Amara’s co-workers might blame her for management digging their heals in on the attendance policy. Amara already knows that the attendance policy hasn’t been distributed or discussed and her co-workers can attest to that. Management might start to enforce the attendence policy either way but at least it wasn’t on your suggestion.

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Argue Amara’s Case

What main points would you make in your argument?

Next 5

Here are some considerations.

(1) Once you start to argue with management, they will get into a defensive posture and probably more careful to not give you information that might be useful.

(2) If you want to consider looking for compromise, once you start to argue, it may be harder to get management to be flexible.

(3) If you do have facts that management does not know about that might make a difference, it could be useful to let them know and it might get the human resources representative to reign in a manager.

(4) Chances are, management already knows what you are going to argue so why do you think it will convince them?

Do any of these considerations impact how you would argue Amara's position? Is so, how?

Next 6

Counterbalanced with the above considerations, you do need to contest management’s accusations and state your case. You don’t want them to later say that you didn’t contradict them.

What approach would you take to get the most out of the meeting with management? How would management's response impact your approach?

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Suggest a Solution

What solution would you suggest?

Management change the warning letter into a counseling memo which is not considered disciplinary
Management drop the warning letter
Something else

Do you think Amara would accept this? What would her co-workers think?

Next 8

How would you respond if management reiterated their previous offer to drop the warning letter if Amara has no other tardiness in the next 3 month?

Next 9

What other solution would you suggest?

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What other strategy would you pursue?

Finished

Finished?

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