Getting beyond conflict

Human conflict is often at the very core of workplace disputes: how to achieve business goals and get our own personal needs met, when those goals and needs appear to be in opposition with each other.

In today's rapidly expanding global economy, businesses, agencies and organisations face a daunting array of challenges. Competition is fierce. The demographics of the workforce are changing at a much faster rate than individuals can possibly catch up with.

Traditional 'command' decision-making no longer works and employees expect to participate in decisions that affect them. Tensions over gender, race, physical ability, sexual orientation and sexual harassment are becoming a daily reality and threats of workplace violence, such as bullying are on the rise.

We have all experienced some of the many kinds of workplace conflict: an unmet deadline creates added stress; a member of a project team falls short of his or her commitments; differences of opinion become heated and heels dig in so that a point can be made; personality styles clash over the most 'appropriate' project management techniques; disciplinary actions are necessitated by unethical, sexist, or racist behaviours; organisational budget cuts require overworked staff to take on even more responsibility; and many more.

A fair conclusion, would be, that, workplace issues, while inevitable, need to be addressed differently and in ways that are more culture-sensitive to existing dilemmas. No matter how aligned one's workplace is with one's values and interests, every workplace is ripe with opportunities for conflict and for applying the skills of conflict resolution.

Human conflict at work is often at the core of these challenges: how to achieve our business goals and get our own personal needs met, when those goals and needs appear to be in opposition with someone else's. Clashes over values and behaviours, competition for limited resources, conflict of interest and power struggles must be addressed.

Typically, in situations where an ongoing relationship with the same person or organisation we are in conflict with exists, the challenge to co-exist or preserve a relationship, becomes even more taxing. While we do not have control over the causes of workplace conflict, we do have control over the ways in which we respond.

In recent years workplace mediation has become an increasingly popular approach and powerful technique in resolving conflicts and strengthening relationships at work. It has been used successfully in such areas as commercial disputes, customer complaints handling, quality management, equal opportunities, and human resources. Essentially, mediation as a means of conflict management, is a powerful tool at work.

Largely speaking, mediation should not remain the preserve of the expert mediator called upon in the actual throws of conflict. In-house managers, today, need to be equipped with managing team disputes and difficult relationships before the conflict arises in the first place.

When employees lack conflict prevention management skills, relationships suffer, decision-making is stalled and conflict escalates. Through learnt negotiation skills and effective conflict management key employees may become effective conflict managers, so saving organisations:

¤ Loss of time and energy
¤ Delays and frustrations
¤ Reduced productivity
¤ Soaring legal fees
¤ Poor morale and burn-out among workers.

Workplace mediation skills training focuses on mediation's positive way of looking at conflict, how it injects a new dimension into people's 'conflict zone' (Mediation for Managers, Crawley, 2002) and outlines the qualities needed to be a mediating manager. Conflict that occurs in organisations need not be destructive, provided the energy associated with conflict is harnessed and directed towards problem-solving and organisational improvement.

Mediating managers become catalysts of positive energy, perceived as people capable of holding things together when others are 'losing it'. They are able to do this because they are enablers not enforcers, not judge or jury, catalysts and not fixers. Mediation helps managers enhance their negotiation skills to promote effective decision-making and improve relationships in a competitive working environment.

Concordia Malta Centre for Conciliation & Mediation Services will be offering a workplace mediation training programme and conflict management one/two day workshop for UK and Maltese managers at the Radisson SAS Bay Point Resort from March 17 to 21.

The training week in mediation skills and conflict management is being led by John Crawley, director and founder of Conflict Management Plus (UK). Maltese participants are invited to attend and will benefit from a highly enriching learning opportunity while sharing common experiences and problematic work issues, with UK managers from various organisations and backgrounds.

John Crawley is the founding director of Conflict Management Plus, established in 1989. He is one of the most experienced conflict management professionals in Britain and is committed to working strategically to further the use of mediation and other constructive approaches to conflict in the UK and Europe.

Crawley has trained mediators and provided conflict management programmes for private companies, local and national government agencies, various organisational sectors and mediation services. He has appeared widely on the radio and TV and regularly contributes articles on conflict management and mediation in the press.

Crawley is the author of Constructive Conflict Management - Managing to Make a Difference (NB Books 1993), Mediation for Mangers with Katherine Graham (NB Books 2002) and lead consultant on BBC World-Wide training video - What's the Problem: Managing Conflict at Work (1995). For more information visit conflictmanagementplus.com.

Audrienne Spiteri Gonzi is a mediator and centre director of Concordia Malta Centre for Conciliation and Mediation Services. For more information contact the centre at info@concordia-adr.org or by calling 9988-2225.

Mediation training

Who may attend

The training for those wishing to receive accreditation (Oxford, Cambridge, RSA-London), is spread over a four-day intensive programme and take-home course work. A two-day option and a one-day, skills-based option is also on offer for those candidates who cannot afford to be away from work for four consecutive working days.

The course is targeted at upper and middle management, HR professionals, personnel officers, quality management, staff development managers, complaints managers, equal opportunities and diversity managers, training managers, insurance and claims managers, occupational health managers, legal professionals, bankers, the education sector, including heads and assessment staff, local council executives and consultants.