Kate's blog

Modern workplaces are made up of a wide diversity of people, all of whom have different values, personalities, opinions and expectations. And when combined in the pressure cooker environment of work, personality clashes, disagreements, power struggles and full-blown conflict are often the inevitable result. Conflict in the workplace can happen at any time and in any employment relationship. And when it does, it can cause damaged relationships, wider discord, stress, bullying, abuse and unproductivity – and that’s just for starters.

Disagreements and tension may be inevitable in the workplace at times – but when left to fester, they can build into a very unhealthy situation for a workplace. The statistics are sobering. Recent studies have shown:

• 85% of employees deal with some sort of workplace conflict throughout their lives
• 88% of people affected by workplace conflict experience poor morale
• 55% of people have experienced personal attacks at work
• 48% of people have endured bullying at work
• Workplace conflict led to 23% of employees choosing to leave their job

Workplace conflict is a prevalent issue, significantly impacting the wellbeing and organisational performance of those who experience it. And it’s so prevalent because the things that cause workplace conflict are generally present in just about every organisation:

• Personality clashes
• Poor communication or complete lack of communication
• Differing values
• Workplace stress
• Heavy workloads
• Misunderstandings
• Warring egos

To make the situation even harder, many employees don’t know how to manage conflict in the workplace effectively. And this problem is not just limited to employees. Managing conflict and having difficult conversations are the top two challengers for employers in every type of organisation – and the effects of poor conflict management on workplaces are devastating.

Individual employees can experience:

• Stress
• Burnout
• Poor physical health
• High blood pressure
• Decreased job satisfaction
• Poor morale
• Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety
• Job loss

And workplaces are not shielded from the effects of workplace conflict either, which can cause:

• Higher rates of absenteeism
• Higher employee turnover
• Reduced productivity
• Potential project failures
• Lost time spent managing conflict
• Financial loss
• Damaged workplace morale
• Lack of cohesion
• Negative publicity
• Damaged reputation
• Lack of trust
• Reduced innovation

Clearly, workplace conflict needs to be managed effectively to prevent its negative impacts spreading through an organisation, but as mentioned above, this is something that many bosses and managers struggle with.

So, what’s the solution?

Workplace mediation.

What exactly is workplace mediation?

Workplace mediation is a structured, voluntary process that uses a neutral third party to help resolve workplace disagreements and disputes. Workplace mediation aims to help find a mutually acceptable solution through open communication and negotiation. This confidential and flexible process for resolving workplace conflict helps the parties involved identify common ground and explore potential solutions that are acceptable to all parties involved. The mediator acts as an impartial facilitator to the process, not a judge or decision-maker, and it’s not about determining who’s right or wrong. The process aims to create a safe space for the parties involved to find agreements and solutions to the problems. These agreements and solutions will need to come from the employees involved in the dispute – the mediator’s role is simply to oversee the process.

What are the benefits to workplace mediation?

The benefits to mediation are significant for both the parties involved and the organisation, Workplace mediation:

Allows for private, quick, and effective resolution of issues

• Improves communication and collaboration
• Leads to stronger working relationships
• Reduces conflict
• Improves morale
• Empowers the parties involved as they have control over the solutions
• Maintains confidentiality
• Leads to faster and less stressful solutions
• Reaches win-win solutions
• Addresses underlying relationship difficulties
• Reduces wasted time, as it frees managers from the need to manage conflict
• Increases productivity
• Reduces impact on colleagues
• Reduces the likelihood of issues escalating to a legal claim
• Is more cost effective than legal or formal conflict management processes

Does your workplace need mediation?

Workplace mediation is the ideal solution for serious issues in the workplace, before they warrant formal legal intervention, and provides prompt and fair resolution to all types of conflict. It should be considered:

• At any point during the escalation of a conflict situation
• As an early intervention strategy when signs of dispute or conflict start to emerge
• When a worker’s compensation or other type of claim (whether accepted or not by the organisation) is lodged

Where to access workplace mediation services

If conflict in your workplace is getting out of hand and leading to stressful and unhealthy outcomes, get in contact with Strive Occupational Rehabilitation. With offices throughout Queensland, we’ll work with you and your staff to build effective resolutions to workplace conflict: https://striveor.com/contact/