Conflict Management

"If we have some inkling of how a culture handles its conflicts, we are in touch with core values." - Conflict Mediation Across Cultures, Augsburger, 1992

Inclusion Audit

Conflict is often a direct result of a lack of inclusiveness that can occur at the leadership or team level. Because most organizations communicate messages about the importance of teamwork, employees who are involved in conflicts may not voice disagreement at the time it occurs seeking to avoid being labeled as “a complainer” or “a difficult employee.” Disagreement may also be suppressed by one party because the other party can withhold something of value – e.g. pay, recognition, or support. Eventually, there is a triggering event that brings the conflict out into the open. But by then, it may be too late to repair the damage to the relationship or to avoid the financial consequences that may be involved in dealing with an angry employee. The Inclusion Audit is an online survey that is designed to give you candid employee feedback about the existence of conflict created by lack of inclusiveness of your company culture.

Conflict Management Audit

When an existing conflict between groups has already begun to “heat up” and is having an adverse impact on relationships and productivity, an independent assessment of the reason(s) for the conflict conducted by an objective evaluator can be instructive in determining the best strategies for conflict resolution and future conflict management. The Conflict Management Audit is an on-site assessment conducted by interviewing the employees involved in the conflict individually and/or in focus groups. The objective of the audit is to determine the cause, the scope and the dynamics of the conflict, the parties who are involved, and possible strategies for conflict resolution.

Mediation A critical condition for fostering more candid communication in your workplace is to “make it safe” for employees to talk about what is perceived as “unfair treatment.”

No matter how responsive your human resources department, employees know that HR cannot be considered “impartial” because, ultimately, their role is to manage the liability of the company. Even if HR could be construed to be impartial, no employee wants to risk retaliation or being labeled a “troublemaker” as a result of “reporting” the behavior of another employee.

The objective of mediation – as we perceive it – is to preserve relationships. It is a process that gives the offended employee the opportunity to discuss the offensive behavior with the individual who is responsible for it. This discussion occurs in the presence of a trained mediator who does not know the parties and has no vested interest in the outcome of the discussion.

Mediation is not limited to disputes alleging illegal discrimination. Sometimes employees allege discrimination because it’s the only complaint process available to them. Mediation provides a viable alternative. The mediator supports the efforts of both parties to share their insights about the cause of the dispute and their attempts to get a better understanding of the other’s perspective. The mediator also assists the parties in considering alternatives for resolving the dispute and repairing their relationship.

Mediation Benefits:

• Mediation of workplace disputes is a proactive process. Many kinds of disputes can be addressed before they escalate into win/lose battles.

• Mediation is cost-effective. Mediators’ fees vary, but in most instances, they are substantially less than what attorneys charge. Effective dispute resolution saves the business owner a number of conflict-related costs. See The Cost of Conflict.

• Mediation is an impartial process. The mediator has no vested interest in the outcome of the mediation session. Mediators who may know or who have had dealings with either of the parties are required to disclose that information to the parties as soon as possible but prior to conducting the mediation.

• Mediation is confidential. The parties and the mediator are generally prohibited from discussing the mediation after the conclusion of the session. If the dispute is not resolved in the mediation process, neither party may utilize the mediator as a witness or hold the other party to proposed solutions that were discussed in mediation.

• Mediation agreements are usually binding. In the state of Texas they are binding once reduced to writing and signed by the parties.

• Mediation is an expeditious process. The scheduling of the mediation session is restricted only by the availability of the parties, the mediator, and a suitable meeting location.

• Mediation helps preserve relationships. Communication contributes to understanding. Understanding contributes to respect for – if not agreement with – the other party’s perspective. Respect for an individual dictates a different way of relating to them.

Coaching

Training and development is just the first step in learning conflict management skills. The real learning is demonstrated when your managers and frontline supervisors attempt to apply their new skills in resolving workplace conflicts. It’s unlikely that, even with the best instruction, your managers will be totally successful on their first try. To give them the support they need, we provide 30-minute phone coaching consultations.