When people encounter the concept of restorative practice, it is frequently linked with the legal system. During the 1970s, restorative justice found its way into the criminal justice framework, intending to repair harm to victims rather than solely punishing offenders. However, the integration of restorative principles outside of the criminal justice system, such as in workplaces, has not been actively practised.
In the professional sphere, restorative practice can and should play a pivotal role in fostering supportive and respectful relationships within the workplace. It encourages a culture where individuals take ownership of their actions, acknowledging the need to mend any harm potentially caused to others. Moreover, these practices can extend to the broader organisational level, addressing not just individual accountability but also gaps or inadequacies in organisational systems, policies, procedures, and lack of effective governance.
Case Study
My colleague and I recently conducted two restorative conferences for an organisation that required support after a problematic redundancy process that left only half its employees with ongoing employment. The issues that led to redundancies were:
- Lack of financial acumen and general governance oversight at the Board level
- Former CEO controlling information and decision-making.
- Lack of role clarity.
- Toxic culture of blame and mistrust.
The newly appointed CEO expressed the need to drive the change towards a sustainable, effective, and positive workplace and opted for having restorative processes planned and in place to occur after the redundancy process was completed.
The role of the convenors was to meet with all employees left after the redundancy process, understand from their perspective, what had happened (why were we here), what impact that had on them, their team and the broader organisation and what could be done to repair some of the harm caused. Creating this space for staff to express their feelings was well received, they felt heard, and respected and that their opinions and thoughts for the future were important.
We then met with the leadership team and conducted the first restorative conference. Each team member had the opportunity to express how they felt about the recent redundancy process, and how it impacted them and their team. The second half of the session focussed on the future and what they felt was important to do/change, there was also discussion on the following day’s session which included all remaining staff. The leadership group decided together they wanted to allow staff to express their feelings without intervention and without defending, that it was an opportunity to truly listen so they could then transition into a future-focused discussion.
In the second restorative session, staff were provided an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings and in the last half of the session, they collaborated with leadership to forge a positive way forward, despite their financial future and thus job security still being in doubt. They collectively expressed a renewed sense of purpose and collegiality that was not there prior.
The application of restorative practices is also highly effective in supporting workplaces after formal investigation processes, in undertaking workplace cultural reviews, and after critical incidents. There is power in creating space for employees to express their feelings and share their ideas for the future, which is what restorative practice allows.
For more information about the services and support available from Wise Workplace, reach out to our team at [email protected].
#RestorativePractice #WorkplaceCulture #OrganisationalEffectiveness
