Kāpehu

Kāpehu is part of the Speak Safe @ Fair Way service which is open to all Fire and Emergency personnel, including volunteers. It’s available nationwide by phone so we can help wherever you are.

Anyone experiencing a challenge can benefit from a conversation with Kāpehu — from any level or team of Fire and Emergency, including people leaders and managers of all tiers.

The service can be used to prepare for a particular situation, it can help you find your way through any differences you may have with your colleagues, and it can help you capture any learning and reflect on what’s happened.

In this sense, it really does help you navigate your work issues and concerns, from the beginning of the journey to the end. It is never too early or too late to reach out to Kāpehu.

If your situation is ongoing, you can access the service as many times as necessary for support over a period of time. This includes if you’re involved in a formal process.

Talking about what’s important to you, and deciding what you want to do about it, can help you take next steps, be generous in the conversation and deal with any differences before they erode trust.

Accessing the service helps to build capability before, during and even after differences of opinion have occurred. It is about being empowered to preserve work relationships in the face of disputes, so you can just work on the solution.

It helps you take workplace issues and conflict and turn them into productive conversations. You can access the support to help you think about these awkward situations as a gift and an opportunity for growth, rather than something you need to run away from. It gives you a private and confidential space to explore while you’re guided by your Kāpehu coach.

There are four key principles, and they’re all important.

• Confidentiality - Everything shared is kept confidential between you and your Kāpehu coach.
• Independence - This service is run by Fair Way and is not part of Fire and Emergency.
• Impartiality - Your Kāpehu coach won’t make decisions about who’s right and wrong but is focused on solutions.
• Informality - You can reach out to your Kāpehu coach for a casual conversation or an informal chat.

Let’s say a situation at work is causing you to feel stressed and anxious, you may decide to talk to your Kāpehu coach. This could be caused by a variety of things, such as a clash with a team member because you have different working styles, or because you feel they’re belittling you.

As a result, you may want to take action. You may want to talk to an expert about strategies you could put in place to defuse tension and restore the relationship, or you may want to talk about exploring other options.

The outcome of the call very much depends on the circumstances of the situation, however, our experience with previous callers shows that typical outcomes often include one of the following:

• Remembering – Exploring how you got to this situation and looking at the pathways to reconsider a decision.
• Applying - Implementing a conflict resolution strategy or preparing for what may come.
• Evaluating - Weighing up the options that may resolve a situation.
• Understanding – Your Kāpehu coach may explain how particular processes work and help you look for a different perspective.
• Analysing - Examining your own role within a particular issue or dispute.
• Creating - Constructing a strategy for avoiding future issues.

For example, you may have been unsuccessful in applying for a new role, feeling upset, overlooked, and demotivated. You may want to talk to a conflict coach about these emotions. In this instance the outcome may include recognising the pathways so you can consider what’s happened - could you have prepared differently or could you ask for feedback on the interview. You may also analyse your role within the conflict or come to a decision that you need to do further training or look for a role externally. A benefit for you would include that you can focus on the future, rather than replaying the interview in your head.

Another example might be after an internal promotion, you may find you’re struggling to get your peers to respect you in your new role. This may cause anxiety and stress because everyone involved is working out new boundaries. During a call we can help you understand what that change means for you, your own boundaries and how you can communicate with your team members to prevent conflict, as well as to find ways to listen to the needs of your peers and to build a united team.

Or if, as a team leader, you’re preparing for a difficult conversation and you know a member of your team may have a strong emotional reaction to some feedback you’re going to give them, you can use Kāpehu to ensure you’re prepared for the conversation. Practicing and role-playing the conversation with your coach, thinking about what you’ll say and how you want to say it, may be the difference between gaining or losing trust with your team member.