Managing Conflict
Conflict within an organisation is inevitable and sometimes disagreement can be healthy and creative. However, failure to manage it can cause bad feeling to fester and lead to under-performance and possibly absenteeism and other stress related outcomes.
There is a range of reasons that may cause conflict to arise, including:
- Personality clashes
- Poor communication/misunderstandings
- Inability to accept criticism
- Insecurity and defensiveness
- Feelings of being undervalued
- Inappropriate use of authority
Dealing with issues causing discontent provides positive opportunities to improve employee relations and lines of communication within an organisation.
Mediation
Mediation is widely recognised as an effective and less expensive alternative to activate formal grievance or disciplinary procedures. While not a universal panacea, it can offer a way forward that is fair and equitable, with benefits to both parties.
Focus EAP offers a structured process to mediation, with impartial, skilled mediations bringing the disputants together to talk, clarify the main issues and explore mutually acceptable solutions. Our experienced mediators will assist in:
- Interpersonal conflicts
- Grievance or complaints cases
- Conflicts between teams
We also provide mediation and conflict management training for managers to handle these issues in house.