Ask the Expert: Kevin Churchill How can I resolve conflict between people in my team?

From time to time in almost every organisation conflict arises amongst colleagues that distracts the team from focusing on its goals. As a business owner, founder, leader or manager in a business or organisation being pre-occupied with team conflict is uncomfortable, time consuming and costly. This is equally true if you are in the conflict yourself, as it is if you are the person responsible for sorting it out. It is understandable that resolving team conflict can seem like a daunting task. However, conflict in the workplace can be managed and resolved and professional relationships can be improved and rebuilt. The people and the organisation can both return to focusing on their goals.

Workplace mediation is a way that can help to manage and resolve workplace conflict. Where does conflict in the workplace come from?

Conflict in the workplace arises from a disagreement about a piece of work, its content, the approach or the speed at which the work is expected to be done, and by who. The conflict situation can be made better or worse by the assumptions, understanding and behaviour of the people involved as well as the team or organisational culture which forms the background to a lot of workplace conflict situations. Add in other sources of professional and personal stress in life, and it’s no surprise that levels of workplace conflict are increasing.

What is Workplace Mediation?

Workplace mediation is a way to manage and resolve workplace conflict. Put simply, workplace mediation is a structured and supported conversation between the two people in conflict, with the independent, impartial mediator, to resolve the differences and to agree a better way to work together in the future.

The process of workplace mediation first is one of explaining, listening, discussing and exploring each other’s perspectives on the situation, so at least common understanding can be reached. From there workplace mediation is a process of continuing the dialogue between the parties and the mediator, to agree on how to work together in the future. Whilst agreement on the past events might not be reached, at least with common understanding of the past, an agreement about future working arrangements is possible, and in most cases, likely.

How long does it take?

A workplace mediation typically takes 3 to 6 weeks from start to finish.

It is made up of a mix of individual meetings with each person and the mediator, and a joint-meeting with both people and the mediator in a room together. This continues until both people have been heard and have listened to the other person’s point of view and have each had an opportunity to discuss the past and plan for the future.

If an agreement is reached, for example on a way of working together in the future, or a way of communicating in the future, this is written up into a ‘Heads of Agreement’ that is signed by both people, and then taken back to the workplace to be implemented.

Is workplace mediation private and confidential?

Yes. All aspects of workplace mediation are private and confidential and known only by the two people in the mediation, and the independent mediator. No details or content of the discussion is shared with anyone else outside of the mediation room, including with anyone else from HR, the organisation or the business.

Kevin is an independent workplace mediator who specialises in helping businesses, local authorities, universities and the NHS to resolve workplace conflict and to find solutions that last.

Kevin also accepts requests to mediate from members of the public. He is a CEDR and CMC accredited and has undertaken more than forty mediation and conflict coaching cases.

Kevin has an MBA from Imperial College and an MSc from the London School of Economics.

If workplace mediation sounds like it could help you or your team please call Kevin on +44 (0)7798 816169, or email him at kevin.churchill@cernothames.com

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