How to Mediate Conflict in Your Business

No ship can sail the ocean forever without springing at least one leak. The same goes for a team of people, who will inevitably have some form of conflict or disagreement arise between them. Your business can’t avoid it, just as a ship cannot sail forever unscathed. Understanding and being prepared to deal with conflict in your business is, therefore, vital. 

And so, with that in mind, here are some of the ways you can work to mediate and deal with conflict in your business.

Unearth the Issue 

The first step when it comes to conflict in the workplace is finding the root of the problem. If you find why the conflict occurred in the first place, not only could you resolve it more easily. But you can also potentially mitigate the risk of it happening again. 

It is important to listen to both sides, keeping an open mind. That way you will potentially be able to discover the aspects of it which either party may not have considered, which may help to resolve the issue faster. If this is an ongoing issue, then it is also important for both sides to make a record of incidents as they see them–as you can then determine how frequent or resolvable the issues are.

Don’t Forget to Listen 

The worst part of workplace conflict is the idea that no one is listening to your issues. If you listen and understand the issue, then you will likely find a better solution than if you just make a decision based on the bare basics of the issue. Listening can also help to diffuse any anger which may have erupted as a result of the disagreement. 

Sometimes it is enough to simply say, “I understand.” 

Listening is the first step to resolving an issue, without necessarily blaming either party. And you can likely find similarities or an understanding between the two parties if you listen and understand both sides.

Keep CALM 

Stress factors can quickly cause two sides to start escalating an issue, shouting and otherwise being difficult with one another. Therefore, it is the role of the mediator to be a calming factor in these scenarios. 

Often, anger in a workplace conflict will be more a result of frustration and fear more than anything else. So having a steady hand to placate and navigate the anger away from the issue is important. As the fact of the matter is that you will need to try and reduce the anger surrounding the situation if you want both sides to continue working in your business. As, otherwise, if left to fester it may lead to further resentments and the parties leaving.

Mediation and calmness are key to any good leadership skills, so ensure this is something you concentrate on developing early. 

Talk it Out

One of the best ways to mediate any issue is through actually talking through the issue. This can mean getting both (or more) parties together to actively discuss the issue, potential resolutions and how they will act going forward. If a meditated talk also breaks down, then you will be forced to escalate the issue - so, trying to get this to work is in the favour of all parties. So, it is important to stress this and make sure that everyone gives the mediation the chance it deserves.

Talking can often be incredibly cathartic and help a situation to resolve. So, be sure not to overlook this simple, but effective, mediation strategy. If needed you could hire a professional mediation solicitor to help in this endeavour - as a professional may be able to navigate the issue with much more success, after all.