Resolving Corporate Conflicts Through Mediation

Have you ever encountered disputes at work? Our guest blog by Alison Shaw from SHAW Mediation shares how mediation could help resolve such conflicts favourably.

Written by Alison Shaw

Corporate conflicts are an inevitable reality in businesses across the world. Miscommunication, differences in opinion and differences in interests between employees are some of the reasons that lead to conflicts among employees, management, business partners and even other stakeholders. When handled badly, a conflict can easily escalate into a dispute that may threaten to affect the growth of the company.

Such unwanted workplace disputes not only place the business at risk of being pulled into an expensive litigation process but also dampens the morale of other employees. In resolving these disputes, mediation is a solution that companies should consider because it is convenient, less expensive and, most importantly, brings about a joint resolution to all parties involved, restoring harmonious relationships within the organisation. The speedy resolution of the conflict by a neutral, third-party mediator will help in alleviating stress off staff and management, ultimately preserving productivity and minimising downtime.

In mediation, all involved will be encouraged to exchange dialogue in an open and safe environment. This helps everyone understand each other’s viewpoints. Everyone will have an equal opportunity to present their perspective of the dispute and generate ideas about how to resolve the conflict. Such open sharing builds empathy and trust, leading to a mutually agreed resolution and the re-establishment of professional working relationships. Another advantage of using mediation is the confidentiality it offers as opposed to taking the conflict to court, which can damage the reputation of the organisation and further lower the morale of the employees and affect productivity.

With professional mediation services like SHAW Mediation being readily available, resolving corporate conflicts can be a hassle and stress-free process for any organisation. Utilising an external, nationally accredited mediator to the dispute helps in quickly separating the problem and the people involved in it while ensuring that there is an independent process to resolve the conflict. This helps lift the pressure off staff and management, including HR who are trying to resolve the conflict, enabling the business to be minimally affected because of the dispute. Being skilled in conflict resolution, mediators can guide everyone toward achieving their own agreed outcome to the conflict.

Overall, mediation helps corporates resolve conflicts amicably with minimal expenditure of time, money and effort. It preserves the high morale of staff and maintains a positive work atmosphere, leading to better productivity and growth of the company. While corporate disputes are unavoidable, organisations can turn to mediation to resolve the situation, resulting in a win-win solution for all, including the company.

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