6 Responses

1. “training” may not be the answer
   Lindsay

   The issue would appear to be a difference of opinion regarding personal ability and responsibility. Sending each to a seperate training course would probably make that worse.

   I would suggest some arbitration; sit the pair down, off site, off duty, with a neutral (really neutral, not over ranked by the senior director) arbitrator/conciliator/facilitator. Coach them together through the issues.

   You don’t need to go as far as ACAS, just a local, independent business coach.

   Rus

2. Perceptual Positions
   Hi Linsay

   A technique you could try is the Perceptual Positions NLP technique.

   Get the two together in the same room but work with them one at a time.

   Create three positions on the floor one for each person and a neutral position.

   As each participant steps through the positions (you need to facilitate, asking appropriate questions about that position) and as the brain ‘acts’ out the other, there seems to be a shift in perception.
   The neutral position offers advice to both participants and this is considered in the other two positions but is in fact all done by the same person. This tends to disrupt repetitive thought patterns and opens out the situation.

   Let me know if you need further help.
   David

3. Two Sides to the Story!
   Lindsay, I have something which could be useful for you to use with the two individuals but your contact details don’t seem to be available on TrainingZone. If you can contact me by e-mail I will send you the information which I hope might be of help. Regards
   Jayne

4. working together
   Hi lindsay
   When I was management development advisaor with business link I was often called to help business advisers deal with situations like this.

   I found that using the FIRO-B was a great tool to help understand the needs of each person. It allowed a working structure to be developed.

   I have also used MBTI in the past but found firo-b to be easy to understand by clients and quick to get to a result.

   Mike

5. try workplace mediation
   Hi there

   Firstly, I recommend you ask both parties to consider meeting with an external workplace mediator who can help them share their feelings and describe and agree some practical steps to overcome the difficulties. Secondly, check if lack of clarity about roles and responsibilites exists elsewhere in the organisation. If so, some training, alongside improving induction and communication strategies would be useful. happy to talk more. Good luck.

   Helene

6. Arian Associates Ltd
   It would appear from the short description of the problem that each of the parties in question has a different perception of both each other, and what is required in respect of the role of the PA. The manager seems to not have much faith in the PA and her ability to carry out the function and the PA is banging her head against a brick wall in trying to perform her job role whilst having no real idea of what the manager really expects from her.
   Communication Breakdown seems to be at the crux of this unpleasant situation and maybe if they just sat down and discussed it in an adult, professional manner then they could resolve their difference of opinion and both move on! Even better to adopt the suggestion in the response from Helene below and have someone mediate.