 August 27, 2018
Do You Know How and Why to do Team Building After an Investigation?
WHY?
It’s a classic case: your team has been through a messy investigation and everyone just wants to get on with work and forget about what they went through. The problem that looms, however, is that everyone who participated may not be ready to go forward, because:
- An investigation can subtly or dramatically strain workplace relationships;
- People take sides, gossip and become distracted during an investigation;
- Regardless how you emphasize confidentiality, rumors abound during and after an investigation;
- Expecting everyone to just “get back to work” is unrealistic;
- Without team rebuilding, productivity and morale suffer;
- Rebuilding can help prevent retaliation claims; and
- While rebuilding, you may be able to discover what went wrong with your policies and procedures.
What Should You Do?
In order to effectively rebuild a team after an investigation,
make sure that you:
- Retain effective internal or external resources experienced in complex and sensitive issues.
- Include individual meetings with the complainant and the respondent, and group meetings with witnesses, any other staff who became aware of the investigation, as well as their relevant leaders.
- Surface and quash rumors.
- Maintain confidentiality by focusing on behavior, not who complained or who allegedly engaged in the behavior.
- Allow people to ask questions and vent.
- Ask everyone how they were treated during the investigation.
- Review the rules about how and why you conduct investigations, confidentiality, standards of proof and retaliation.
- Review relevant laws, policies and values.
- Ask everyone involved what they need from the other participants and the organization in order to move forward and put the investigation behind them.
- Speak with in-house or outside counsel about potential minefields to avoid and to educate them about the benefits of conducting such sessions.
For more resources and information on this topic go to our website: http://www.workplacesthatwork.com/resources/monday-memo-archives/
What Do You Think?
Do you conduct such sessions now? Why or why not? What has been your experience?
 Did You Know
Our experienced facilitators regularly conduct such sessions.
Call or write us at: 303-216-1020 or
Learn more about our training offerings and check out our team members at:
Be sure to read Lynne’s book “The Power of a Good Fight” and learn how conflict can help drive productivity, creativity and innovation.
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