Kesto: noin 20 minuuttia.

Aim

The aim of this exercise is that participants recognize their own roles in their work community and consider whether these roles are in conflict with one another. This exercise acts as an introduction to the social conflict exercise on the next page.

Course of the exercise

» Participants discuss various work roles and related conflicts as a group.

Instructions

Begin the discussion by telling the group that an organization’s internal structure consists of employees in different roles. Roles are connected on the one hand to performing work tasks (job role) and on the other hand, to an employee’s status in relation to other work group members (team role). Different organizations have different structures. Some organizations have distinct roles and an internal hierarchy between these roles.

An employee may see their role and role-related goals as somewhat unclear and contradictory. Vague roles are a central cause of work stress. Therefore it is useful to think about one’s own work community roles and any expectations regarding these.

Discuss briefly as a group the sort of ambiguities regarding job and team roles that may exist in a work community. Have the participants been in a situation in which others’ expectations of them were confusing? How did they resolve these situations?

Conclusion

Briefly go through the thoughts this conversation raised among the participants.

Duration: approximately 45 minutes

Aim

This exercise covers social conflict situations that the participants may encounter in a work community. They will think about the reasons behind these conflicts and find constructive solutions by means of example cases.

Course of the exercise

» Participants discuss conflict situations at the workplace by means of
example cases.

» They choose their own ways in which to resolve these situations.

Instructions

Begin the discussion by reading or asking a participant to read aloud M’s example case (Workbook p. 29).

New employees joined M’s department. One day M’s supervisor assigned her a task that was challenging, but which she felt she performed well.

Later M accidentally overheard colleagues wondering why the task had been given to her even though, in their opinion, she was not at all qualified for it.

Consider together why this situation arose. Write down background factors. Then ask what solutions they would suggest for dealing with the situation. Record the solutions beside the background factors.

Possible solutions:

• open flow of information and discussion
• disclosing one’s own expertise
• well-defined rules
• assessment of actions and results.

Conclusion

Finally, ask the participants to state which means mentioned in the discussion they would personally use in the event of a conflict.

If there is still time, you could for instance circle the most popular means on the flip chart or ask the participants to like their favourite solution proposals by using the comment voting feature.

Duration: approximately 20 minutes

Aim

Social support promotes our health and well-being as well as ability to better manage our career. The goal of this exercise is to recognize the significance of social support and to recognize people who can offer support and important information regarding work.

Course of the exercise

» Participants discuss sources of support and the kind of situations for which support and information are available.

» Participants draw their own support networks in their Workbooks.

Instructions

Inform the group that close social relations are important for support and mental well-being, but that acquaintances may also be a source of information on, for example, how to carry out their work tasks. Lack of support may make it harder to cope with work. If you feel that you do not receive enough support, it is important to think about which people or sources may have information regarding work-related or career issues and how might you contact them.

Ask the group the following questions. Write the answers.

1. Who are the people who offer you support in difficult work-related issues

Possible answers:

• co-workers
• supervisor
• spouse
• friends
• acquaintances, relatives
• occupational health physician or nurse.

2. What other kind of help or information can you find through collaboration or networks?

Possible answers:

• help and advice regarding work tasks
• discussion can help in challenging situations
• information on job or assignment vacancies
• information on what to do when changes take place at the workplace.

Task

Ask participants to individually complete exercises 1, 2 and 3 on page 30 of their Workbooks.

Allow 5–7 minutes for this task.

Duration: approximately 25 minutes

Aim

The aim is to activate the participants to use and expand their own networks.

Course of the exercise

» One of the trainers explains the idea of a personal network to the participants.

» They reflect in groups on what might cause difficulties in expanding networks and how these can be overcome.

» Participants devise a plan in their Workbooks for expanding their own personal networks.

Instructions

Draw a picture of an expanded network on the flip chart or, in online implementation, share your computer screen.

First explain the idea of a personal network to the participants:

Constructing a network begins with one person. This first link can be anybody, for example a co-worker, relative or an acquaintance. This person knows a lot of people, among whom there may easily be someone who has information regarding issues related to performing work tasks or who is otherwise able to answer career-related questions. In a network it is not essential to directly know all these people; all you need is to get to know about them through your own proactiveness and through other people.

 

Note

It is advisable to have an example case of your own, for example, how through your personal network you obtained help in work-related issues, information on job vacancies or perhaps heard of vacant housing. Your example case should make the functionality and profitability of a network clearer.

Ask the participants to consider why creating connections with people who might provide important information might prove difficult.

Record their answers.

How can you promote interaction in these situations? Enter solutions next to the suggested difficulties.

Task

Ask participants to think of new people for their personal network with the help of their Workbook exercises (pp. 31–32): What kind of co-operation may help them in their work and how might they promote interaction with co-operation partners? Remind the group that they may use the methods written.

Participants can outline their own network on page 33 of their Workbooks.

Conclusion

Finally, discuss whether the participants gained new perspectives to the use of personal networks from this exercise and what thoughts their own network inspired.

Duration: approximately 70 minutes

Aim

The aim of the exercise is for participants to learn to prevent work overload by controlling their workload. To achieve this, they should learn to set themselves limits and learn to clearly express their needs and desires.

Course of the exercise

» The trainers present three examples of a situation in which a supervisor assigns a job to a busy employee. Participants provide proposals for constructive courses of action.

» In small groups, they rehearse how to act in such stressful situations.

Instructions

Inform the group that an overly conscientious employee may find it hard to refuse new work tasks, even when they are already having trouble keeping up with their existing work.

It is important to be able to express your needs, desires and opinions in order to avoid burnout or workplace conflicts.

One of the trainers can play the supervisor’s role and the other can play the employee. Act out the first two example situations according to the dialogue below.

Example situation 1

S = supervisor
E = employee

Location: employee’s room

The employee is writing at their desk. The supervisor walks into the employee’s room. In online implementation, you can also act out a situation in which the supervisor makes a video call to the employee.

S: Hi, this report needs to be finished as soon as possible. How soon do you think you can do it?

E: (sits slouched, avoids eye contact with the supervisor, answers hesitantly) I might get it done by tomorrow if I work overtime.

S: Excellent! I’ll let the customer know that I’ll send it over first thing in the morning.
Inform the group that the following incident takes place approximately one year later. Stress that the characters are the same people as in the previous example.

S: Hi, this report needs to be finished as soon as possible. How soon do you think you can do it?

E: (aggressive pose, stares at the supervisor, shouts) You can forget it! I’m not going to work overtime for it! Sometimes it feels like nobody else does anything round here!

Supervisor leaves the room embarrassed or ends the video call.

Ask the participants for advice on how an employee should act constructively in this situation. Write down the advice.

Now act out the situation again, observing the participants’ advice.

Example situation 2

Inform the group that again the characters are the same as before. However, the employee is now prepared for the conversation.

S: Hi, this report needs to be finished as soon as possible. How soon do you think you can do it?

E: What was the schedule you had in mind?
S: It would be nice if I could send it tomorrow.

E: (sits upright, looks directly, answers with a calm voice) I’m sorry, but I can’t do it without working overtime. I need to finish this other pressing task first, so I don’t think I’ll be able to finish your report until the day after tomorrow.

S:  Well, I’ll negotiate with the client and if it can’t be rescheduled, I’ll ask someone else to do it.

Discuss with the group what exactly the employee did differently. Add the missing points to the flip chart.

Task

Divide the participants into groups of three to take the roles of supervisor, employee and observer.

Now ask the participants to consider how they would act in a stressful situation like the one above. The participants write a short interaction in their Workbooks (p. 35) and present it to the group. The participants take turns to play the roles of supervisor, employee and observer. The job of the observer is to follow the exercise and to point out to the employee in which particular aspects they succeeded and which of their actions helped the situation progress constructively.

Lopetus

Finally, discuss what thoughts playing the employee’s role inspired.

Conclusion and an overview of the next day’s contents (see General instructions).