Personal Experience: Conflict

I am currently experiencing a conflict situation in the workplace. The parties involved are myself, several other employees, and the employee who has been with the company for the longest time. Because Selma has been with the company for so long, she appears to assume a power structure that does not exist. In truth, her management position in the company is on the same level as the rest of us. Nevertheless, she mistakes her seniority for power. As such, she assumes not only rights to delegate her workload to the rest of us, but also to arrive for work late and leave early, frequently using "crises" at home as an excuse for this behavior. Further complicating the matter is the fact that Selma is very good friends with our boss.

In terms of organization, the situation can be analyzed by means of perceived and actual power structure. The floor is overseen by the boss and several vice-managers. As the senior vice-manager, Selma assumes authority over me and the rest of the managers, although this power has not been officially granted to her. Each manager has the same workload, but Selma shirks her duties by delegating to others who are in reality her equals in terms of power structure. This frees her for inappropriate behavior in the workplace in terms of her duties. This has several effects, including resentment and overwork for those involved.

A problem exacerbating the conflict is the patterning caused by our fear. We are reluctant to approach Selma or our boss about the problem, as we do not wish to risk disciplinary action. This is a possibility, because Selma and the boss are such good friends. In other words, we fear the possible repercussions of such a conversation. This has both an enabling and patterning function: Selma is able to continue her pattern of behavior, which in turn exacerbates our unvoiced feelings of resentment and overload. Neither Selma nor our boss seem aware of our feelings. In order to resolve this conflict, I believe honest and calm discussion is necessary, where all parties are given an opportunity to voice their goals and concerns.