Ours is a male-dominated workplace and, like lots of businesses these days, our workforce springs from all corners of the globe. At the last count, there were about 16 different languages spoken. We make sure that communications are clear, especially where the health and safety of employees is concerned and our record here is particularly good.
We take a pride in our employee relations and have good representation on the works council of the breadth of the ethnic mix in the organisation. At managerial level, the representation of minority groups is less well advanced, but we are making progress.
Given this focus, it has come as a bit of a shock to discover that one of our first line managers, Livia, has been having particular difficulties in leading her team and in getting the respect of her peer group. Livia is of Slovakian origin and leads a team of mainly, but not exclusively, Eastern European men.
She was promoted because of her technical competence and has received some comprehensive management training on which she performed very well. We see her as one of the people with the potential to advance well inside the organisation.
It has become noticeable, however, that her team members do not afford her the respect that they afforded her predecessor, Desmond. They are quick to finish their shift and there is evidence of standards slipping. With her peer group, she becomes irritable quickly when she advances a view and is disagreed with. This is untypical behaviour.
I have decided that I need to talk to her. I want to avoid taking to the discussion any assumptions or preconceptions about her being a woman in a male environment or a woman with men of a certain cultural background, and deal with it fairly and straightforwardly. What can you advise?
