Conflict in the workplace can create stress, high employee turnover and high costs in terms of managers’ time and employee payouts. Employees impacted by conflict have lowered job performance, motivation and productivity. Conflict that goes unmanaged can lead to complaints, dismissals and legal action.
We offer a variety of resolution services to help you resolve conflicts at work, each tailored to the circumstances and your specific needs.
Mediation
Mediation is a process in which the participants, with the support of the mediator, agree to meet to identify issues, develop options, consider alternatives and make decisions about future actions and outcomes. The mediator acts as a third party to support participants to reach their own decision. It is suitable for resolving conflicts from interpersonal relationships to legal disputes. WEIR mediators are accredited under the National Mediator Accreditation System and understand the particular dynamics and risks of workplace conflict.
Facilitated discussion
Facilitated discussions are used:
- to resolve interpersonal workplace conflicts
- prior to more formal processes such as grievance investigations
- to repair relationships following workplace culture reviews or grievance investigations.
Risks are managed through preparation and coaching, while the discussion itself provides a safe environment for individual parties to repair their interpersonal relationship, identify and discuss options and come to an agreement about how they can work together more effectively in the future.
Restorative services
WEIR has extensive experience working with teams to identify issues and difficulties that interfere with their ability to perform. These may be longstanding issues spanning years or sometimes decades, or they may be new and acute. We encourage team members to develop positive connections and work together more effectively, while addressing the impact of historic patterns of disrespect or dysfunction.
Using the principles of restorative practice and leveraging our expertise in resolving and managing conflict, complex communication skills and team repair activities, we design a process most appropriate to the unique needs of each team.
Facilitating discussion using the principles of restorative resolution assists teams and individuals to safely consider alternate ways of working. Developing a team charter, or a set of agreed behaviours, allows them to develop their own rules and values that determine how they connect, collaborate and communicate with one another.
We use Collaborizza® image cards and Flow conversation cards to initiate safe but meaningful discussions, help people identify goals and actions, build trust and connection, increase positivity, and improve team effectiveness and performance.
Collaborizza brings together two powerful tools: CCS Corporation’s image card facilitation system known as CCS Cards, and Hargraves Institute’s Collaboration Assessment Tool for Teams. The cards create a safe, constructive space for open, honest and robust team conversations about performance, thriving and collaborative behaviours, led by an experienced WEIR facilitator.
The Flow card system enables leaders and employees to safely initiate meaningful discussions. They cover both leadership – how we lead others (WE) and resilience – how we manage ourselves (ME). The cards pose critical questions in 8 key areas including behaviours, actions, infrastructure, expertise and culture.
In our experience, teams and individuals who participate in these activities can experience new possibilities for working with each other within the first hour. We have seen them apply skills and collaborate positively to take the process into their own hands and develop a united vision of their potential.
Negotiated behaviour agreements
There are times when people don’t get along but need to continue to work together. Negotiated Behaviour Agreements (NBAs) provide a structured approach to prescribe the necessary steps towards agreed behaviours and processes, and the timeline in which they happen. Used with individuals or groups, the process includes clearly defined measures for addressing and resolving future workplace issues or concerns and involves other key stakeholders to provide safety and accountability for everyone involved.
Rebuilding relationships coaching
Leading a team presents many challenges and navigating through difficult times can require specialist skills. This service provides support to team leaders who are experiencing difficulties with motivating, managing or communicating effectively with their team. A coach will work with the leader to develop their capabilities, uncover performance roadblocks and guide them through new approaches move their teams from surviving to thriving.
We conduct conflict resolution training services nationwide, with staff and offices on the east coast of Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Central Coast, Gold Coast or Brisbane. Contact us to speak to a consultant.