Smooth collaboration
Conflicts crackling? Clarify constructively!
– HOUSE OF MEDIATION
Is there a crisis atmosphere in the company that is disrupting the flow of business?
Scenarios
Do you also have an elephant in your conference room?
Group formation (‘Those over there’)
‘Department X never finishes on time, we’re always behind schedule because of them,’ is the comment in an emergency call between department heads because of various complaints about quality and completion date by customers. ‘Department Y always puts unnecessary time pressure on us and simply doesn’t want to understand that we work carefully and thoroughly here, unlike them,’ it immediately shoots back.
Unclear competences
In a major global corporation, sales figures have been falling in Europe for two years. For this and various other reasons, the European Head of Sales has been replaced five times in the last three years. The new European Head of Sales, who was appointed two months ago, has many new ideas to get sales back on track. In America, the incumbent Head of International Customer Relations is very upset about the sales figures in Europe and wants to take the helm. A conflict arises between the European Head of Sales and the Head of International Customer Relations over new measures.
Project management
The project would have an IRR of 15%? One deadline after the other bursts? X and Y prefer
to blame each other instead of looking for solutions.
Work
I don’t want to disappoint my mother / father, but strictly speaking, I don’t want to take over
her / his company. « My beloved daughter / son, you can’t do it that way – we’ve always
done it that way… »
Employment relationship
Ambitious and highly motivated, X proposes several corporate changes. Y sits at the table
next to X and thinks to himself: “Just two more years and I can retire.”
Unresolved conflicts do not remain without consequences and continue to escalate.
The nine escalation stages of a conflict according to Mr. Friedrich Glasl¹:
1. Stufe: Spannung
Es existieren unterschiedliche Meinungen, die zueinander in Spannung stehen.
2. Stufe: Debatte
Die Meinungsverschiedenheit verhärtet sich und die Positionen werden mit Argumenten untermauert. Die Meinung des Gegenübers verliert zunehmend an Bedeutung.
3. Stufe: Taten statt Worte
An der eigenen Position wird festgehalten und Unmutsbekundungen werden deutlich gemacht.
4. Stufe: Koalitionen
Aus der Meinungsverschiedenheit ist ein Konflikt geworden. Für die eigene Position werden Verbündete gesucht.
5. Stufe: Gesichtsverlust
Die opponierende Partei wird öffentlich negativ verklärt und denunziert.
6. Stufe: Drohstrategien
In der sechsten Stufe des Eskalationsmodells von Herrn Friedrich Glasl wird versucht über den Opponenten Kontrolle zu erlangen und ihn mittels Drohungen zur Aufgabe zu zwingen.
7. Stufe: Begrenzte Vernichtungsschläge
Aus Drohungen werden erste Taten, die gegen den moralischen Kodex verstoßen.
8. Stufe: Zersplitterung
Der Konflikt ist soweit fortgeschritten, dass es den Konfliktparteien bewusst wird, dass sie ihr Gegenüber ausschließlich alleine (d.h. ohne ein Netzwerk von Verbündeten) bezwingen können. Infolgedessen greifen das Netzwerk der Personen an und streben danach, diese zu isolieren.
9. Stufe: Gemeinsam in den Abgrund
Das letzte Stadium des Konflikts ist erreicht. Das Individuum ist so verletzt, dass es bereit ist, selbst in den Abgrund zu stürzen, wenn es dem – aus seiner Sicht – schuldigen Täter mit in den Abgrund ziehen kann.
Ungelöste Konflikte bedeuten finanzielle Verluste durch:
Demotivation
People in conflict situations often bear this responsibility. Exhaustion can lead to a decline in motivation, which can in turn result in employees adopting a ‘work to rule’ approach.
Decline of Performance
Individuals in conflicted situations often demonstrate reduced productivity and substandard work quality. A lack of concentration can lead to signficant errors.
High levels of absenteeism
Escalated conflicts can result in resignations and/or sick leave (keyword: Bourne out).
Termination(s)
Employees may decide to seek alternative employment due to one or more conflicts.
Reputational damage(s)
In the digital age, the dissemination of defamatory statements and ill will can have a detrimental effect on a company’s reputation.
Conflict Cycle
The cycle continues until the conflict is resolved.
BENEFITS FOR BUSINESSES
How does mediation create a benefit for my company?
Cost savings
Interpersonal tensions and disgruntlement disrupt the flow of business (see: How to recognize the need for mediation!). Causes can be trivialities on the one hand, or on the other, suboptimal internal processes that if corrected would add to the business value. In both cases, if not addressed, the problems build up and cause indirect costs. In addition, in the second case, the company bears opportunity costs with regard to the neglected realization of the process optimization. In extreme cases of escalation, the skilled employee involved in the conflict, including his or her expertise, will be lost as she / he leaves the company. This is precisely where mediation comes in, by giving the conflicting parties the
space they need to express their displeasure, work through disagreements and resolve them. In other words, it optimizes the flow of business and thus binds qualified personnel.
Time savings
Mediation is time efficient because appointments can be freely scheduled. They can be carried out immediately, within one or two days at the client’s request. There are no structural requirements from the law or external third parties that could interfere with the start of a conflict mediation. Likewise, there are no waiting periods within the mediation except for the caucus (individual meeting).
Preparation time, such as that required for a court hearing, is kept to a minimum. As the client, you set the pace.
Reduction of expenses
Mediation is economical. Mediation does not require provisions. Mediation allows financial savings in terms of the time component. On the one hand, because of the speed with which a solution can be reached (see above). On the other hand, because employees cannot attend to their actual daily business, but are tied up by processes within the conflict (communication with law firms / courts).
Mediation allocates time directly to the conflict and thereby speeds up the settlement. In turn, work time can be used for the original purpose of the employee to eventually generate business value.
Protection of reputation
Mediation promotes a lasting business relationship or separation with certainty. In a dispute, emotions can boil over and cloud the view of the successful past. Mediation promotes restoring true proportionality. A jointly resolved conflict usually raises the business standard to a new level and creates mutual trust. This allows space for promising cooperation and future projects.
In the event of a separation, plausible and comprehensible explanations can be provided, to concerned third parties.
Principle of confidentiality
Mediation is confidential. According to German regulations §2 paragraph 4 MediationsG, third parties are only allowed with the consent of all parties. This includes journalists and competitors. Internal company information remains within the company.
What is my goal in mediation?
HOUSE OF MEDIATION
Harmony. My intention is to help you and your social environment to raise your relationship to a new level in interpersonal dilemmas that have already reached a deadlock. It is important to me to give the conflicting parties access to each other’s needs as well as to the origin and cause of the conflict, so that they can work out a joint, coherent solution. If mediation is successful, a closer bond develops between the parties to the conflict. By going through the process together, the mediating parties get to know each other anew and develop a deeper, inner understanding of each other, which raises their willingness to engage with and approach each other to a higher level.