Regardless of where you work, the conflict will sometimes occur. Knowing how to effectively resolve the conflict is important to protecting the organization.
Use a neutral mediator
When you attempt to mediate a workplace conflict, it’s crucial that the mediator isn’t directly involved in the issue. The people who are at conflict trust a neutral party more than one who has a personal involvement. Your mediator should also have training in this area to prevent the mediation from turning into a fight and help the parties come to a productive agreement they are all happy with.
Arrange a meeting
You should schedule a workplace mediation meeting for those who are having a dispute. The mediator should start off the discussion by explaining the purpose of the mediation and its goals. Then, they will allow each party to state their side of what happened without interruptions or attacks on others allowed. Don’t allow others to make even brief comments while someone else is speaking.
After gathering information from listening to all sides of the story, the mediator can identify the issues and find common ground. They will guide the others into creating a solution. Ask each involved party what actions they would like the others to take. Examples of actions they may want someone to take are submitting reports sooner or allowing them to work entirely one-on-one with a client. At the end of the meeting, the involved parties commit to making specific actionable changes that they agreed upon.
Teach employees about how to resolve conflict
You can pass out a worksheet or pamphlet that informs employees of the tips for successful workplace mediation to help the process go smoother. This should include tips like staying calm, being respectful, maintaining a solution-oriented mindset, listening, being honest, and asking questions.
Include ideas for each of these tips and other key information for employees to know. Many people could improve their listening skills by avoiding thinking of what to say while someone else is talking, for example. Slow, deep breathing in tense situations can help a person stay calm.
The quality of relationships in an organization can make or break it. Learning how to mediate in the workplace is a valuable skill.
