Mention the word restorative in a crowded room and invariably there will come the retort “justice” because the terms have become virtually conjoined.
Restorative justice conjures up images of settling ‘flashpoint’ disputes or resolving neighbour disputes about anti-social behaviour.
But it’s about so much more and workplaces can learn lessons from the street. And because we spend so much time in our workplaces it is essential that we work in a cultural environment where we know mistakes will be made, people will fall out, processes will be invoked, and relationships will be affected.
For many organisations procedures and the adherence to them is a priority. This is accompanied by a defensive mindset, a retributive culture, a focus on “who?” rather than “what?”.
Combined, this creates a heady mix, lending itself wholeheartedly to blame-shaming and counter-productive work environments.
In this post-Covid working world many work practices have changed for the better and I suppose we all have our personal favourites - whether it is flexibility, greater support, more inclusivity or generally a more enlightened outlook on work.
But imagine taking some of that positive change and building a workplace culture focused on restorative, open, and just learning in order to repair trust and relationships after something has gone wrong.
It is a big ask because it will involve a cultural change, something akin to making a cake with 50 ingredients but no measuring spoon.
It also needs to come from the very top of the organisation and be predicated on core constructs such as – moral engagement, emotional healing, reintegration, organisational learning and psychological safety.
Organisations such as Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust have taken a lead role in adopting this new cultural approach to working relationships, while other bodies are looking on and saying “we need to be doing this”.
If organisations take a long hard internal look at their dispute resolution culture, more often than not there will be a genuine case for change not simply procedural but at mindset level and where learning and accountability are central to the success of cultural reform.
This will require getting comfortable with discomfort and having to get used to people speaking up.
Co-design will help develop a culture that does not degenerate into a whine-fest and with the right mindset, intent and behaviour, can provide the basis for cultural reform. Don’t get me wrong - this is a big ask for any organisation and change like this will not happen overnight – leadership will need to be re-wired, language must change, respect and civility must be front and centre.
Just how much of everything you need is not an exact science, but hey, neither is baking a cultural cake.
- Mark McAllister is director of employment relations services at the Labour Relations Agency NI
