| A complete breakdown of communication can | | | |  are human beings who are hard-wired for |
| happen in an instant and can be silent and deadly, | | | | self-interest and instinctive fight-or-flight responses |
| misdiagnosed as it escalates into conflict. Real time | | | | when confronted with adversity. |
| conflict tears at the quality of the work environment. | | | | In these days of tight budgets, cutbacks, and |
| What can be done about this conflict? A realistic goal | | | | competition for available resources, what organization |
| is having a quick, effective way to intervene and | | | | can forego the opportunity to bolster productivity |
| explore resolution to small conflicts....while they are | | | | and customer service while receiving the benefits of |
| small. Below are steps to add value, save money and | | | | a positive return on investment (ROI) on the cost of |
| defuse conflict in your working group. A solid, | | | | implementing mediation of conflict that drains |
| well-known way to handle workplace complaints is to | | | | resources in every work environment? |
| wait for the EEOC charge to be filed, an attorney | | | | Steps to add value, save money and defuse conflict |
| letter to be received, or litigation to be commenced | | | | in your working group: |
| before mediation is ever explored. But mediation at | | | | 1. If you haven't already done so, gain a better |
| these points is when the situation becomes hopeless | | | | appreciation of the need to manage conflict by using |
| and a breakdown in communication has occurred. | | | | one of the free online tools to calculate the costs of |
| Unfortunately, the mediation then addresses conflicts | | | | workplace conflict now available to estimate many of |
| that have morphed into legal issues. | | | | the real cost impacts to your organization. |
| How many mediations uncover failures in the | | | | 2. Provide the employee relations staff with regular |
| communications involved in the situation rather than a | | | | mediation training, which includes advance mediation |
| violation of law? | | | | skills. These courses are relatively inexpensive if you |
| More often than not, a dispute can be traced back | | | | have a few employees taking the advanced training |
| to some relatively minor misunderstandings, | | | | at an educational institution. Use these internal |
| miscommunications, mistaken perceptions, and | | | | resources to identify and resolved conflict in its early |
| frustrated expectations that have nothing to do with | | | | stages. |
| legal concerns. Left unresolved, these seemingly | | | | 3. Train key managers in basic mediation skills. Then |
| ordinary events can escalate, positions can solidify | | | | obtain the capability to hire private mediators on an |
| and the problem will become a legal matter. | | | | as-needed basis. This can be viewed as similar to |
| Mediation of all types of workplace disputes can | | | | other types of outside providers, such as |
| happen at any stage in the life cycle of the conflict. | | | | investigators, employee assistance programs, and |
| Intervention via informal mediation by an impartial | | | | other specialized consultants. |
| third party works and can easily be measured as a | | | | 4. If your budget allows it, provide both an internal |
| cost effective tool. | | | | and external resource for mediating workplace |
| Any a professional mediator and human resources | | | | conflicts. |
| professional, specializing in employee relations, will tell | | | | 5. Track expenses for providing mediation (dedicated |
| you that human interactions set the nature of the | | | | employee relations staff costs and/or cost of private |
| work environment. A positive work environment is | | | | mediators) and develop a method to compare these |
| critical to productivity, business reputation, customer | | | | mediation costs over time with the costs incurred on |
| service excellence and, indeed, the bottom-line | | | | resolving formal complaints and litigation via traditional |
| operating costs of any organization. | | | | processes. The return on investment (ROI) will |
| This is a foregone conclusion by researchers. | | | | become a documented success story. |
| Therefore, business owners, managers at all levels of | | | | 6. When your organization is ready, inject mediation |
| the organization, human resources leaders and their | | | | skill training for managers as a part of any managerial |
| legal counsel all have reason to want to mitigate an | | | | effectiveness training program in order to maximize |
| organization's exposure to conflict and disputes | | | | communication skills in the organization. |
| impacting a work group's ability to function well. | | | | 7. When you are feeling like increasing your |
| This can be a frustrating proposition because | | | | organization's ability to maintain a high quality work |
| employees and managers..... | | | | environment, add mediation skills training for all |
|  bring their entire lives (containing a huge | | | | employees. |
| variety of motivations and focal points) with them to | | | | The work environment suffers and costs escalate |
| work; | | | | when you wait longer to use mediation as a regular |
|  are also being affected by (and react to) | | | | tool to resolve workplace conflict. Mediation adds |
| what they see, hear, feel, expect, and experience at | | | | value and saves money in these times of budget |
| work every day; | | | | crisis. |