- Preventing conflicts
- Resolving conflicts
- Coaching for individuals
- Mediation for two or more parties
Everything works better together – especially on the job. Smooth cooperation and the power of well-functioning teams are invaluable for the success of an organization.
But sometimes, working together is not that easy. When it comes to collaboration, different interests and needs have to be taken into account. And often, the framework for good collaboration in an organization is truly challenging: while useful, new work, agile work, reorganizations and other ongoing changes contain potential for conflict as well – between colleagues, management levels, or within teams.
Conflicts at the workplace are completely normal. And in every conflict, each side has its own merit. What’s important is how we deal with such conflicts. That’s what characterizes the culture of an organization – and it affects cost efficiency as well. The costs of a conflict easily exceed the gross salaries of the parties involved – year in, year out.
Conflict prevention
All it usually requires are some input, impulses and above all, practical experience in managing conflict-free interactions with others. For example, participants in our workshops learn how to:
- Identify differences in perception and approach between themselves and their colleagues
- Apply a conflict-avoidant communication style
- Negotiate solutions at eye level and
- Give the quality of their relationship with their negotiating partner a positive direction
Our workshops are suited for managers, teams and individual employees. One workshop day and another half-day follow-up are usually sufficient to start with. The output for participants:
- Basic information on the systemic perspectives
- Introduction to nonviolent communication with which to deescalate incipient conflicts
- A four-step model enabling them to lead negotiations on the job more satisfactorily
Conflict coaching
We offer individual support for managers enabling them to deal with conflicts between colleagues or team members independently. This particularly makes sense in situations where conflicts cannot be solved directly or with the help of a mediator.
During the coaching, participants gain clarity about their situation and position within the conflict. They become more familiar with their needs and strengths – and gain the freedom to manage the conflict better in the future. The focus in on concrete assistance, personal progress in dealing with conflict situations, and transferring the learnings to everyday work.
Conflict coaching is not a replacement for mediation in escalated conflicts, where two or more involved parties work on solving their conflict with the help of neutral mediators.
The scope of the individual coaching strongly depends on the individual situation. Four to six sessions of 2 to 3 hours duration respectively are a good initial estimate.
Escalated conflicts
When two (or more) parties quarrel, they’ll usually only be able to move forward with the support of a third. Once the positions of the conflict parties have really become entrenched, the conflict will spread to their immediate work environment. It will become an energy hog for all involved, their productivity and job satisfaction will drop, and the costs of the conflict will rise.
If other attempts at mediation have not been successful, conflict support and resolution by our trained mediators is one possible path to better and more constructive collaboration.
Supported and accompanied by our mediators, the core issues at the bottom of the conflict will be brought forward. Understanding for each other can reemerge and talking to each other will become possible once more. The end result is a common solution and ideally, a new, better relationship.
Mediation workshops are suitable for employees and teams dealing with conflicts in the work environment that can no longer be resolved internally. In many cases, two to three days or four to five days plus a half-day follow-up are a reasonable time frame.
You’d like to work with us?
With our longstanding expertise and in-depth knowledge of the field, we’ll find solutions that suit you and reach the goals you have set.
References
As mediation and conflict resolution are sensitive topics subject to strict confidentiality, we will refrain from specifying any official references here.
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