Rather than an organization solution, what might be most pressing is to help two co-workers (staff, managers, leaders, or executives) resolve a conflict they are experiencing. Mediation provides a forum for two or more parties experiencing conflict to meet together and, in the presence of a trained neutral mediator, communicate with each other more openly, understand one another better, and hopefully reach agreement on their issues.
Mediation can help the parties repair a relationship through increased understanding of one another as well as collaborating on finding solutions with one another. The mediator does not provide answers or make decisions but supports the parties to find their own answers and make their own decisions.
When two parties resolve their issues, the impact often can be felt on the rest of the team. These parties can also bring back skills to the rest of the team to improve understanding and communication. And greater understanding of the parties‘ conflict might provide insight to macro-level issues that need to be solved at the team, department, or even organization levels.
Marisa Sanchez, PhD, was trained and certified by the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation.