Using Mediation To Resolve Conflict

Transcript

[Presenter] Imagine the scene. Two team members have had a bitter disagreement about a project they've been working on together. What started out as a healthy rivalry has become a full-blown clash. Communication has completely broken down. And now, they're ignoring each other.

What do you do? Ignore it and hope the situation will resolve itself? Reprimand them both? Or step in and try to resolve the conflict?

One powerful conflict resolution strategy you could use is mediation.

This is when you act as intermediary between the two parties where the focus is on resolution rather than discipline.

As a mediator, your job is to move discussions forward, break up stuck arguments, and guide parties to a workable agreement. But this can only be done if you strive for fairness and stay attentive to power imbalances. Objectivity is key.

Before you go ahead, however, make sure mediation is the right approach. For example, it wouldn't be appropriate to rely on mediation to resolve bullying or harassment. These cases need to be dealt with formally, and your organization will likely have proper processes in place to do this.

If you do see conflict brewing in your team over smaller disagreements, you can use mediation to resolve it by following these steps.

1. Set Ground Rules

First, set ground rules. Meet with all parties involved and go over what they can expect from you in the process. Make sure everyone's willing to participate. Mediation won't work if people are forced into it.

Agree on rules, such as coming prepared with ideas about how to resolve the conflict, listening and avoiding interruptions. Remind participants that everything they say is confidential.

2. Talk to Each Person

Talk individually to each team member. This will allow them to share their perspective honestly and openly. Use active listening and open questions to get to the root of the problem.

Pay attention to their body language and allow them to express their emotions. Avoid shutting these feelings down though. This might be the first time they've been allowed to voice the impact the conflict has had on them and what they think caused it.

3. Explore the Conflict

Once you've had a chance to speak individually, meet as a group. Remind people of your ground rules, summarize the conflict, describing areas where the parties agree and disagree.

Allow your team members to express their thoughts and feelings, giving them equal time to talk. If they become defensive or aggressive, guide the conversation back to the main problem at hand and encourage empathy by allowing them to ask questions to each other.

4. Negotiate and compromise

Next, go over the points that were raised and identify areas where there's common ground. Try to resolve these issues first to gain some positive momentum and build confidence that a solution can be found.

Ask people to brainstorm solutions and encourage win-win solutions that both sides are happy with. If someone suggests an unreasonable solution, ask that person what they would consider reasonable and see if the other party agrees.

5. Create a written agreement

Once a solution has been found, set it out in a written agreement. This could, for example, refer to how they'll behave in future or how they'll communicate going forward. You might consider getting each person to sign the agreement to add weight to it and increase accountability.

6. Follow up

Finally, get closure. Give copies of the agreement to both parties and make sure they're on the same page about what's expected of them. Summarize their next steps. Let them know you're happy to provide ongoing support and thank them for their cooperation.

Mediation is often a productive and peaceful way of resolving workplace conflicts, particularly if other resolution techniques have failed. So, add it to your toolkit and see what benefits it brings to you and your team.