Does mediation really work in instances of workplace conflict? Conflict at work can be distracting. It can also hinder performance, increase costly employee turnover, and lead to potential legal issues. These consequences become increasingly likely if the conflict or related tensions have been brewing chronically or over a long period of time. Mediation can...
You just landed your big promotion and finally have the leadership role you’ve always wanted. But you soon discover an unexpected responsibility: mediating disputes between employees. This is a tool that’s an important addition to any leader’s toolbox, even if it’s not exactly the most fun part of the job. Mediating Disputes Between Employees In...
Dealing with difficult people at work is not a new or rare occurrence. Different personalities don’t always mesh well together, and when you add on work stress, you may find that there are particular coworkers you simply cannot collaborate with. This tension can be a hotbed for conflict, so it may be worth addressing before...
Summary of: Morelli, S. A., Torre, J. B., & Eisenberger, N. I. (2014). The neural bases of feeling understood and not understood. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 9(12), 1890-1896. Doi: 10.1093/scan/nst191 Background & Theory This article addresses how our brain reacts when we feel understood versus when we don’t feel understood. The authors evaluate how...
Managers might scoff at the amount of time they have to put toward mitigating workplace interpersonal conflict instead of managing productivity, overseeing innovation, attending important meetings, and networking for individual or team growth. But what many managers don’t know until it’s too late is that conflict among team members can be costly. Productivity, profits, and...
Summary of: Mirivel, J. C. (2019). Communication behaviors that make a difference on well-being and happiness. In Velazquez, J .A. M. & Pulido, C. M. (Eds.), The routledge handbook of positive communication (Ch. 6). New York. Taylor & Francis. Background & Theory The author of this article evaluates real-life experiences to answer questions surrounding positive...
Summary of: Klimecki, O. M. (2019). The role of empathy and compassion in conflict resolution. Emotion Review, Volume 11(4), 310-325. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073919838609 Background & Theory This article overviews the concept that empathy and compassion have a large role to play in resolving conflict, and can be especially helpful among multiple groups involved in conflict. Research Questions...
Summary of: Webb, C.E., Rossignac-Milon, M, & Higgins, E.T. (2017). Stepping forward together: Could walking facilitate interpersonal conflict resolution? American Psychologist, Volume 72, 374-385. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0040431. Background & Theory This article examines how walking may be beneficial to not only an individual, but to multiple people involved in a conflict resolution process. Research Questions The article...
In workplace conflict resolution, just as in any peacebuilding effort, much of the success lies in the parties’ motivation to resolve the dispute. Of course, the conflict management specialist’s experience and talent is a large factor in a successful peacebuilding effort; but if the parties are not particularly motivated or are simply unwilling to fully...
Any group of individuals in any sort of setting who are attempting to cooperate in some fashion are sure to run into conflict from time to time. And family members, of course, are no exception. In fact, some of the most heated, emotional, long-standing, and painful disputes arise from family conflict. That’s probably because families...
