Does your organization have an effective conflict resolution policy and procedures?
Performance management?
Harassment and discrimination? If yes, how often are these documents reviewed to ensure they are current?
While most people do not enjoy thinking about their organization’s policies and procedures (and even fewer people enjoy writing them!), I’d like to redeem the image of organizational policies and procedures. Effective policies and procedures matter: they provide important guardrails that can help your organization (and the people you employ) thrive – and they hold important information regarding the steps to take when things go awry.
This article focuses on policies and procedures related to performance management, conflict resolution, and managing harassment and discrimination. Collectively, this article refers to these as “Organizational Health Policies and Procedures” (OHPP).
Consider the following checklist to discern whether your organization has the necessary OHPP documents and/or whether it is time to review them.
Yes/No | Statement | Notes |
| We have each of the following policies and procedures: 1. conflict resolution, 2. performance management, and 3. harassment and discrimination. | This set equips an organization well. If you only have one of these three policies, people may find it difficult to access the support that best meets their needs and/or people may assume something is harassment when, in fact, it is a conflict or a performance management matter. | |
| Our OHPPs are aligned and connected with one another. | It is not unusual to move between OHPP processes (e.g., something that begins as conflict might become a matter of performance management.) Connected and aligned OHPPs help people move between OHPPs, when it is appropriate to do so. | |
| Our OHPPs include a policy statement, scope, definitions, roles and responsibilities, and procedures. | Effective OHPPs provide clear processes, definitions, and role clarity so people know what is expected of them when using the document. | |
| Our OHPP policy statements reflect the culture we are seeking to create. | Statements of goodwill set a positive tone for OHPPs. | |
| Our OHPPs respect and offer care to all sides of a situation. | Effective OHPPs ensure you are not forgetting the needs of the various people using the OHPP. | |
| Our OHPPs are easy to read and follow. | If your OHPPs are complex, consider creating a “map” or an executive summary to ensure ease of use. | |
| Our OHPPs apply to diverse settings. | OHPPs typically apply to staff, supervisors, board members, volunteers, contractors, etc. | |
| Our OHPPs encourage self-reflection as a first step. | Encouraging self-reflection invites those using the documents to be thoughtful about their role in a situation of concern. | |
| Our OHPPs encourage low-level interventions when appropriate. | Effective OHPPs encourage parties to address matters of concern at the lowest level possible appropriate to the situation. | |
| Our OHPPs encourage policy users to address concerns in a timely fashion. | Timeliness ensures situations of concern do not fester and spiral into something much bigger. | |
| Our OHPPs address the possibility of a vexatious complaint. | Effective OHPPs recognize the possibility of frivolous and vexatious complaints and create steps for addressing such complaints when they arise. | |
| We review our OHPPs on a regular basis (e.g., every two years). | Because language, laws and insights change, it is good to review OHPPs at regular intervals. |
If you have said no to any of the questions above, I encourage you to attend to your OHPPs.
If you need help with your OHPPs, connect with Credence or another consultant who can help you with this work. Having these documents in place can make you a stronger organization – especially when things go awry.
Supporting Leaders, Engaging Teams. Transforming Organizations.