Unit 7
Babpbuvter253
riverbend.docxConflict Management
Introduction
You have assembled a team of professionals to serve on a Training Curriculum Development Team to address cultural competency issues related to transgender officers and other employees. Two members of the team were preselected for you—Felicity Pearson from the Riverbend City Civil Liberties Union, and Police Chaplain Lee Khang—and you chose the rest of the team yourself.
Unfortunately, the team has descended into conflict over the issue of locker room and bathroom use for transgender employees. As a leader, you need to help the team find a resolution to this conflict and get back on track.
Captain's Email
You have an email from Captain Joanna Penney
Training Curriculum Development Team From: Joanna Penney, Captain
We all appreciate your hard work in assembling a Training Curriculum Development Team to address cultural competency issues related to transgender officers and employees.
Unfortunately, it seems that things aren't going so well. The team has been discussing the issue of bathrooms and locker rooms for transgender officers and other employees. There are some strong opinions, which have been exacerbated by organizational politics and other issues. Things have escalated to the point that there was a heated debate between Felicity Pearson and Lee Khang at the last meeting that bordered on a shouting match.
We need your help to get this committee back on track. Please speak with the members of the committee, and then offer some suggestions for resolution.
Thank you for addressing this matter! --Joanna
Team Member Perspectives
Speak to each of the members of the Training Curriculum Development Team about this conflict.
Lee Khang, Police Chaplain
"I know things got heated between me and Felicity Pearson at our last meeting, and I'm very sorry about that. I know she means well and feels very passionate about LGBT issues. But… well, to be blunt, she's an outsider. She's not from this department and doesn't really have any experience with the police… except for maybe getting arrested at assorted protests. So for someone like Felicity to come in here and demand we allow transgender officers to use whatever locker rooms they want...well, you can imagine that hasn't gone over so well with people around here. She is very condescending to me and to police officers in general. I don't know if she thinks she's better than us, but that certainly comes across.
Felicity needs to slow down. We all do. You can't make these kinds of changes all at once, especially when a lot of people around here are genuinely uncomfortable about this issue. It's my job to make sure everybody is being heard, and Felicity isn't listening to anyone she disagrees with. It's her way or the highway. We many eventually get to the point where transgender people can use whatever locker room they want, but as someone who's actually a part of this organization, I can tell you that we are not there yet! There's nothing wrong with providing a separate, private changing area specifically for transgender individuals. Felicity's acting like doing that is the equivalent of physically injuring people or something."
Felicity Pearson, RCCLU Representative
"I'm so sorry things have gotten out of hand between me and Lee. Things were going well in the beginning. I thought everyone was having such a respectful dialogue about the issues. I'm not sure how things escalated so quickly. I think when we stopped talking about LGBT issues on a more abstract level and started talking about specific actions we wanted to take, that's when things got heated.
That said, I am sick and tired of Lee saying that I need to slow down! He keeps repeating that phrase over and over again in this condescending voice, like I'm a child who doesn't understand. Lee has some real problems when it comes to communicating respectfully with women! He accuses me of not listening, but the truth is that he talks right over me—and other women too. I hate it when men do that!
And as for his insistence that we slow down—well, that's just ridiculous. This is not something radical we're proposing. We just want transgender people to be treated with dignity. I am floored that in this day and age, anyone sees this as a big deal. I mean, this is a police station, for heaven's sake! These big strong policemen can't deal with a transgender person in their locker room? Give me a break."
Jonathan Barnegat, RBC Human Resource Manager
"I feel like I'm not being heard here. In my eyes, this issue is pretty simple. This isn't a personal issue. It's a legal one. Legally, you have to find a way to accommodate transgender individuals. In the case of the locker rooms, the easiest solution is to provide transgender individuals a choice between separate accommodations or using whichever locker room they prefer. Then you have to enact some strategic change management strategies to get everyone on board. But everyone is getting caught up in their personal opinions and emotions, and no one is listening to me. I was asked to be on this committee because of my expertise in human resource issues. I don't want to waste my time listening to Felicity Pearson and Lee Khang yelling at each other. They're behaving in a totally unprofessional matter, both of them, and if this doesn't change I'm going to quit this committee."
Amelia Carter-Green, Police Union Representative
"I have mixed feelings here. I do think Felicity Pearson needs to be more cognizant of being an outsider. The way that activists like Felicity talk about issues—well, she speaks a different language then people in the police department. She keeps using words like "cisgender" when talking about this issue—which is a word that political activists know, but it's not necessarily a word that others know. I think some of the officers here feel like she's talking down to them. But on the other hand, I'm not thrilled with how Lee Khang is representing the police department. I don't see him being very flexible in this situation at all. He keeps saying over and over again that separate accommodations for transgender employees are the only solution, and he doesn't seem open to even considering an alternative approach. And he talks over women. I see him do that all the time and it drives me crazy."
Craig Singleton, Corporal
"This isn't the first time I've met Felicity Pearson. She's been a regular feature at protests around the city for a long time. I really don't see the point of her being on this committee. She clearly doesn't have respect for the police department, that's for sure, so why does she get to weigh in on our personnel decisions? The way she keeps talking about police officers is offensive. She thinks we're too backwards and stupid to figure out how to behave professionally around a transgender person. We don't need an outsider to come in from the RCCLU and dictate how we should do things around here."
April Nguyen, President, Riverbend City LGBT Alliance
"Things started out so well on this committee, but now… well, it's hard for me to see how we can get things on track. I feel like Felicity and I aren't being taken seriously and that others on the committee defer too much to Lee. I don't know if it's because we're women, or it's because we're not part of the police department, but it's very discouraging. I keep bringing up examples of steps that organizations around the country have taken to accommodate transgender employees. I think that's a pretty rational way to approach the issue—you know, like by providing evidence that these kinds of accommodations work? But I feel like I'm speaking to a brick wall sometimes because I'm an outsider."
Joy Palmquist, Administrative Assistant
"I don't feel like I'm being heard. Especially by that Felicity Pearson. She made this big deal at the first meeting about how she wanted to respect everyone's opinion. Well, the truth is she just pretty much ignores me because I don't agree with her. But it's not just Felicity… I feel like other people on the committee just kind of talk over me. I don't know if it's because I'm just an administrative assistant, or if it's because I'm vocal about my faith. But it's very discouraging."
Gerald Daniels, Corporal
"I have mixed feelings about the big dispute between Lee Khang and Felicity Pearson. On the one hand, I completely support letting transgender people use whatever locker room they want. This really shouldn't be an issue. But on the other hand, Felicity needs to show Lee Kang some respect. I don't agree with a lot of what he says, but he's a good guy. He's helped a lot of people around here. I don't see her showing him the kind of respect he deserves. For that matter, I don't know how much she respects cops in general. I know she has a history of being involved in a lot of city protest movements."
Father Junot Rivera, Catholic Priest
"It's sad for me to see how fast this situation has deteriorated. It seems to me that there's not enough mutual respect on this committee. When people don't feel like they're being respected, or they don't feel like they're being heard, then of course you're going to have conflict. I've heard both Lee and Felicity talk over each other at meetings—and I've heard other people on the committee do this too. I don't know how the bathroom solution is going to be resolved—truth be told, I'm not sure what I think is the best solution. But I do think something needs to be done to get this team to work better together, and to make sure everyone feels like they're being taken seriously."
Nolan Rosenberg, Secretary, Riverbend City LGBT Alliance
"I'm very glad that I was asked to be on this committee. But as the only transgender person here, I don't feel like I'm being heard as much as I should be. Especially by Lee Khang. He keeps talking about taking small steps and going slow. Really? How long does he expect me to wait around? And Felicity… well, she's on my side and I like her, but I do get annoyed when she keeps making these grand arguments about transgender rights. She's never once asked me what kind of rights I want, or why these rights are important to me. I mean, I certainly don't speak for all transgender people, but I do know quite a bit about the issues that impact my community—and that isn't being respected."
Mo Xiong, RBC Diversity Liaison
"This situation escalated quickly. That's probably not surprising, considering how controversial this issue is. And there's a lot going on here. I think both Lee and Felicity both feel like the other one is condescending to them. I wonder if that's partly just a matter of different communication styles. I know Lee—he and I are both active in Hmong community initiatives. I'm wondering if I should speak with him separately about this situation—and Felicity as well—and see if I can help? They're both good people. They just have very different perspectives on the situation, and very different communication styles."
Brianne Twyha, Solcial Worker
"I feel like the interpersonal conflicts in these meetings have gotten in the way of our progress. The communications between Lee and Felicity have gotten more dysfunctional. This contentiousness may make others hesitant to talk – and also fear that they won’t be heard. I think we need to all take a step back and remember why we are here – to help Officer Flannigan as she makes this difficult transition and to educate those around her. Indulging in interpersonal conflicts just gets us further and further away from the larger goals of this team. We all need to agree to be more respectful in our communications moving forward."
Conclusion
You have completed the Conflict Management activity. In the courseroom, you will be asked to analyze this conflict and discuss possible resolutions.
The following are reflection questions. Your responses to these questions will be recorded in your Leadership Profile.
As a leader, how do you feel about resolving conflicts? What are your strengths and weaknesses in this area?
