The Mediating Leader: How to Manage Workplace Conflicts and Disputes

When you’re managing people with different working styles, ideas, skills, and personalities, disputes will inevitably arise. Minor disputes can often be resolved quickly and easily, but if they are left unresolved, they can escalate and become the catalyst for major conflict.  

When conflicts become public it can cause reduced morale, division in teams, toxic behaviour and lower productivity. That’s why it’s crucial for leaders to recognise early signs of conflict and manage conflict effectively.

Benefits of good mediation

Learning how to mediate will help you become more confident in dealing with disputes, having difficult conversations, and de-escalating arguments. However, being able to prevent conflicts from getting out of hand isn’t the only benefit of being a good mediator.

Removes conflict from public view

When there is a disagreement in the workplace it’s too easy for other colleagues to get dragged into the conflict. Not only can this cause the conflict to become bigger, but it also causes a distraction.

Colleagues may start to lose trust in each other or feel animosity. This can cause stress or anxiety, low morale and toxicity. If this is not resolved, it can result in colleagues looking for alternative employment and badmouthing the company, which can damage the company’s reputation. 

By acting as a mediator, you can remove the conflict from the main workplace and deal with it in a more confidential and constructive way. You can limit the number of colleagues affected by the dispute and minimise the risk of it impacting customer service.    

Improve your listening and communication skills

The best mediators can listen to other people’s opinions calmly, maintain impartiality, and take an empathetic approach. Doing this will help you improve your active listening skills and your emotional intelligence which can help you become a better communicator and leader.

Find agreeable outcomes for everybody

Mediation is not about letting those involved vent their frustrations and shout at each other. Mediation is about finding common ground for the conflicting parties and helping them negotiate solutions that are agreeable to everyone.

When everyone feels comfortable with the outcome, there is less risk of the conflict recurring. Those involved can go back to work feeling as though they have been listened to and respected.  

Deliver value to the organisation

Good mediators can break down a problem and transform it from dysfunctional and destructive into constructive and functional. This is hugely beneficial to organisations as it helps keep morale and productivity high. Colleagues can stay focused on achieving their objectives rather than getting caught up in arguments and petty disputes.  

Build stronger teams and increase trust

When you ignore conflict as a leader, it can lead your employees to feel as though you don’t care about them. This can cause them to feel undervalued and demotivated.

However, if you address conflict, listen to your colleagues, and help resolve disagreements, you will increase their trust in you. You will also help them build stronger relationships with each other which will create a more united team.

How to become a more effective mediator

To be a good mediator, you will need to be able to remain calm and neutral even when arguments start to get heated. You will need to be a good listener and be empathetic. There are also some other things you can do to improve your mediation skills.

Learn to recognise early signs of conflict

The earlier you identify conflict or potential conflict, the easier it will be to prevent it from escalating. Look out for early warning signs such as noticeable tension or unease among colleagues. If you spot colleagues getting easily irritated with one another or avoiding one another, this can be a sign that trouble is brewing.

A colleague who is caught up in conflict may struggle to focus on getting their work done. They may also be taking more time off than usual or acting differently when they are in the office. Be aware of increases in absenteeism or resignations.

A decrease in productivity can also indicate a problem. Are colleagues spending more time gossiping or complaining about each other rather than concentrating on getting their work done?

Address issues quickly

The worst thing you can do as a leader is ignore conflict between colleagues as it can quickly fester and escalate. Dealing with an issue quickly shows that you care about the well-being of your colleagues and want to ensure that everyone is happy. This makes your employees feel valued.

If you notice tension or conflict or you witness a dispute, address the issue as soon as possible. This may mean immediately taking the colleagues to a quiet space so that you can resolve it then and there. Alternatively, you might need to schedule mediation time to discuss the issue in detail. Arrange for mediation to take place in a neutral location to ease tension and ensure all parties feel comfortable.

Investigate the context around the issue

Where the conflict is more complicated than a simple difference of opinion, it is important to investigate the context surrounding it. Gather all the facts. Speak to each person involved to get their perspective. Try to get to the root cause of the issue.

Create an agenda and set clear guidelines

At the start of the mediation, outline the points to be discussed. This will help you keep the conversation relevant and ensure all issues are addressed. Focus on a common goal – a good outcome for everyone. When everyone is trying to reach a shared objective rather than simply score points against each other, you reduce adversarial attitudes.

Remain neutral and practice active listening

Your role as a mediator is to remain impartial. Avoid taking sides or showing bias. Be open to hearing all perspectives. Listening actively and empathetically without interrupting can help uncover the root cause of the conflict.

Use active listening techniques, such as repeating back key points, to ensure all parties feel heard and to confirm you have understood them correctly.

Encourage open dialogue and ensure all parties feel safe expressing their concerns and being honest about how they feel.

If the discussion becomes too heated, take a short break. This allows everyone to cool down and return with a calmer mindset.

Find a way forward

It might not be possible to resolve conflict in one meeting, but you should always try and remain future-focused. Perhaps another mediation session is required or maybe you need to arrange separate meetings with each individual. There might be a requirement for training or coaching. Decide what the next steps are and put a timeline in place.

If an agreement has been reached that will resolve the problem, ensure that the solution is clear and sustainable. Check that all issues have been addressed and that both parties feel comfortable with the agreement that is in place. Follow up at a later time to ensure any action points have been acted on and that the conflict is resolved.

Eliminate root causes and be proactive 

As a leader, you need to look for the root cause of any conflict. Understanding how conflicts arise will help you prevent future conflicts. Is there a problem with the culture? Are your processes causing issues? Do you have a ‘problem’ employee who is causing animosity between colleagues?

Review previous conflicts to understand common triggers and patterns. This helps you identify areas where improvements are needed.

Consider arranging conflict resolution training for all staff so they have the tools they need to manage conflicts themselves.

Create an environment and culture where employees feel psychologically safe and comfortable speaking up about issues.

Developing Mediating Leaders

As a manager or leader, there’s always something new to learn or a skill you can improve and develop. Organisations need to support managers and leaders in this development, but you also need to invest in yourself.

Getting formal leadership and management training will not only help you build your leadership skills, it will also help you grow in confidence, and increase your chances of career progression.  

Alternative Partnership delivers ILM-accredited Leadership and Management training programmes to support you and your teams in gaining formal, nationally recognised qualifications.

Find out more about our current ILM courses here or get in touch to discuss how our services could benefit you.

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