Mediation in Action

Conflicts are part of daily business and quite often they can be solved without complications.

Conflicts are part of daily business and quite often they can be solved without complications.
But if this does not work, there is usually not much fun left in working together and besides a lot of resources and creative potential is lost. In such a case it is useful to get the support of an external mediator, because he/she is unbiased, has no own interest or any preferences for a certain solution.
Mediation is a pragmatic procedure for dealing with divergent interests or for the arbitration of conflicts. And it is done pragmatic and solution oriented.

Here is a short description of a mediation process between managing directors and factory committee members of a company:

Cause:
There was always an atmosphere of fighting with each issue that came up and then the communication between the two committees completely broke down.

Initiator: One of the managing directors

Present for the Mediation:
Factory Committee Members: 5 persons
Managing directors: 4 persons

Duration:
4 hours

Procedure:
A short welcome was followed by an introductory round. As Heide Straub knew the managing directors already, the stress was laid on getting to know the factory committee members, because there has to be a balance between both parties. This is one of the principles of mediation: Each party gets the same amount of uninterrupted time and interest.

One member of the managing directors then started to describe the situation objectively, but this was stopped by the mediator in order to give each party the opportunity to describe their view of the situation: Another principle of mediation: None of the parties involved must lose her face!

When the issues where presented, the following Agenda became clear:

Commonalities: Each party fully wanted the company’s success; both belonged to the company for quite a long time and felt loyal towards it.

Emotions of the members of the managing directors: Frustration and anger because they felt left alone by the factory committee members. Emotions of the faculty committee members: Anger and a kind of stubbornness because they did not feel accepted by the other party in their way of doing things more slowly; they also felt they did not get enough information about reduced or extended work hours.
Issue Identification: How could both sides have a better way of working together and respect the interests of the other side?

Working on the Issues: The focus of the work was to support the respect for the other side and this was done by switching roles: The factory committee members “took the chairs” of the managing directors and vice versa – including their underlying interests, of course. In doing so, both sides found out what they really needed from the other side and this led to mutual respect and acceptance.

Building Agreements: “Immediately installing regular meetings between the two parties: In these meetings the managing directors will inform about the actual business numbers and give information about reduced or extended work hours to the factory committee members and besides that reveal the future strategic interests of the company.

At the same time the factory committee members become clear about their role in the process and offer their participation in quick decisions, but with respect to the time periods they need for decision making.”

End of the Mediation: Both sides left the meeting with the agreement for cooperation and for making a new start.

After One Year: The cooperation has become considerably better in the view of both sides because all the agreements were met and in their working together trust and respect were dominant.

Here you find more about what ComTeam has to offer in the field of mediation.

Here you can read about our seminar "Business Mediation"