A best practice is defined as a method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to any alternatives because it produces results that are superior to those achieved by other means or because it has become a standard way of doing things.
The Best Practices team works with both Union and Management to explore needs and determine the “right” services for collaboration. Our services focus on helping our union and management partners to structure collaborations designed to achieve short-term objectives (resolve a conflict) or a longer-term goal (tackling business processes that need improvement).
If you would like to learn more, please feel free to contact us directly. We’re here to help, and we hope you will be inspired to join us and learn more about our services.
Best Practices
- A Contractual Commitment: Outlining an infrastructure to support union-management cooperation. (Local 34 & 35)
- A Culture & Paradigm Shift: Positively shaping Yale’s Union-Management culture so that we can, together, solve problems and manage change.
- An Approach: Incorporating quality and continuous improvement methods.
Best Practices’ Services
- Manager Development: Teach and coach managers so that they can manage effectively in a unionized environment
- Union Leader Development: Teach and coach union leaders so that they can lead effectively in union-management cooperation
- C&T and S&M Learning and Development: Guide union-management cooperation in support of C&T and S&M skill-acquisition and career mobility
- Departmental Projects: Facilitate union-management cooperation projects in departments at the request of local union or management leaders, human resources – or directed by the Policy Board
- University Projects: Facilitate key university initiatives with Local 34 or Local 35 (e.g., New Haven Hiring cooperation)
- Conflict Mediation and Problem-Solving: At the request of local union and management leaders (or HR), facilitate or mediate resolution of significant disputes or conflict arising at the department or university level – or directed by the Policy Board
- Negotiation Support: Support university and union leaders as needed / requested to achieve successful contract negotiations
Facilitating Workflow Analysis
Process improvement with input from those who do the work helps to optimize processes to achieve more efficient results (reduce cost, time, and improve quality).
- Identify shared vision of improved workflow
- Understand customer needs
- Map current workflow and discuss areas of improvement
- Share relevant data
- Redesign new workflow
Union-Management Cooperation Training, Coaching, and Other Resources
Nurturing partnerships by supporting individual or departmental learning.
- Partnership essentials to prepare new groups for collaborative work
- Moving Conflict to Resolution, 60-90 minute modules, instructor led training
- Creating team norms
- Helping employees feel confident in applying various communication skills through coaching
Online Resources and Guides
View our online resources and guides:
- Fundamentals of Partnering
- Using DESC to Make Your Difficult Conversations More Effective
- Asking Effective Questions
- Practicing Good Listening Skills
Best Practices for Union-Management Cooperation
- Establish sponsors.
- Share data, keep talking.
- Adopt the best practice communication norms.
- Strive not to surprise each other and to being transparent when we encounter barriers.
- Adopt the best practice change management norms.
- When conflicts arise and a best practices approach is mutually desired, we follow the interest-based problem-solving approach to achieve win-win solutions or constructive resolution.
- Jointly manage conflicts that escalate.
- Provide structure to joint union-management work.
- Respect each other’s institutional roles as managers and union leaders.
- Invest in training and development to advance the culture of constructive union-management relations as well as the ability for staff members to learn and grow.
- Reflect and learn from our success and missteps to allow for continuous improvement.