09/06/2024
"If you don't like it make it formal or stop moaning!" .....a common 'ultimatum' in many work places when two colleagues or a boss and a team member have fallen out.
Unfortunately it is a very big step to 'go formal' in a workplace dispute. The impact on your daily life, the risk of being moved to another section while the complaints continue, risk of not being agreed with over the issues. Ultimately, if you've experienced others doing the same, the risk that you may end up leaving your job.
While mediation can be very useful in resolving such issues, not all organisations fully engage with it or, It may only be considered AFTER the issue has become a formal complaint.
Conflict Coaching, which in many instances comes from the same 'roots' as mediation is a one-to-one, confidential and short term support option for people who have concerns about a workplace situation but may not wish to 'go formal' straight away. They may want support in how they deal with the situation and interact with the other person in order to try to improve things such that the formal process is unnecessary.
In 'wised up' organisations it is available to anyone so that it pre-empts the need for any such process. It may be that an employee or manager uses the process to create other ways of dealing with their situation - and no-one ever knows other than the trusted 'gatekeeper' through whom they are given access to Conflict Coaching.
Sometimes people arrange their own Conflict Coaching outside of their organisation if it does not provide such access or they may express their wish for access and a manager or HR officer supports them by authorising the expense.
Conflict Coaching is a short term support option, with up to a maximum of 3 sessions and often only one or two are felt to be needed by the client after they've had an impartial, supportive space in which to discuss their concerns and be helped to create new options for themselves and for the situation towards its resolution. Conflict Coaching isn't 'advocacy'...the coach doesn't take the client's side 'against' the other person. it's also not counselling or therapy. The focus is on helping the client resolve the issue rather than on maintaining a complaint against the other person or organisation or seek to explore 'themselves' over a longer period.
Many people come to us for such purposes as they don't find such support within or from their organisation. But wouldn't it be great if organisations themselves provided such access for their staff such that potentially escalating situations can be helped towards resolution before it all goes 'formal'.
We have a full 5-day training course coming up in Aug/September in Conflict Coaching skills, or if you are looking for Conflict Coaching for yourself, please contact us at [email protected] to find out more.
https://youtu.be/MiuqVS9Ui1Q?si=excMUsaXFSnI84j8
How to BECOME A CONFLICT COACH: Help people draw upon their innate capacity to resolve their own disputes through conflict coaching, whether at work or in ot...
