WORKPLACE
CONFLICT RESOLUTION & MEDIATION
Mediation enables you to have a different dialogue than the one that originally brought you to this place of conflict. Mediation focuses on the relationship, especially in the workplace, to help reach an agreement on resolving problems and how to work together. Both are about working together, helping you to reach an agreement to resolve a problem, or agreeing how to work together to move the relationship forward.
We work with each party individually to prepare them for the mediation/facilitated dialog. We work to ensure the parties understand their own interests, and their perspective on the other party’s interests.
There are occasions where a facilitated dialog is not in the best interests of both parties, and in that case I frequently engage in conflict coaching with at least one party, which provides them skills and techniques to deescalate and manage conflict.
Conflict resolution and mediation services can help move the conversation in a different way.
Knowing when you need help
Often people try to resolve a situation by themselves, be it at work, home or other, and somehow the conversation deteriorates. When you are trying to resolve a conflict, feelings of frustration, isolation, or a win-lose mindset can occur and become a barrier to moving the relationship forward.
By the time people come to me, they have two problems:
- The original problem that they couldn’t solve on their own.
- The communication breakdown as a result of the problem they couldn’t resolve.
You and others may have become entrenched in a position and attached to a specific outcome. It may look very much like a win or lose situation and that there is only one way that will work. It is difficult to see past this.
How can conflict resolution and mediation help?
Mediation helps you work together to learn and discover what is really important to resolving your situation. It can help:
- Clearly define the problem you need to resolve.
- Examine what is important you as an individual and the other party.
- Looks at various factors such as your values and concerns.
- Identify common interests that you might not have been aware of.
Principles of mediation: Getting comfortable with the process
This is what you can expect out of the process:
- A thorough understanding and agreement of confidentiality is in place before we engage in a mediation.
- All parties have a clear understanding of the mediation process.
- All parties will be able to participate effectively in the mediation.
- All parties make their own decisions.
- Any resolutions come from you, as the participants. The mediator does not determine the outcome.
This is what you can expect from us
- We remain independent, impartial and free of conflict of interest.
- We encourage respect among the parties.
- We have the right to terminate the mediation if there is an ethical dilemma, conflict of interest or concern for safety.
- We do not provide legal advice.
How we can help
As a neutral third party, we facilitate dialogues that identify the root of the problem and bring the parties forward. We believe everyone wants resolution, a healthy workplace and great relationships.
In order to get to the root problem, we:
- Conduct individual conversations.
- Provide a safe environment for parties to converse.
- Respect confidentiality (within legal boundaries).
By the end of the mediation process, you can expect an outcome that considers the interests and values of both parties. You determine your own outcome, mediation will not impose a solution on you.
NEXT STEPS
If you have a conflict to resolve or want to learn more about mediation and conflict resolution you can book an initial consultation, or request a lunch and learn or workshop on topics such as assumptions, defensiveness, blame or customize a topic based on your organizational need.