This one-day course will provide you with a general overview of mediation and its effective use in the resolution of workplace grievances.
Participants will be introduced to the concept of mediation as a process for addressing difficult and sensitive issues in the workplace in an early and informal way, resolving disagreements before they escalate into full conflict.
The course will examine the nature of conflict together with a discussion about the causes and effects of workplace disputes and how these have negative impacts on relationships and well-being at work. The range of basic mediator skills and competencies will be explored, and the role of workplace mediator will be explained.
The course will also look at how a workplace mediation policy could be integrated into an existing organisation HR or conflict management structure.
Participants will have an opportunity to decide if workplace mediation is right for them and their organisation.
Workshop content:
- The real impact of conflict in today’s workplace
- Understanding cause and effect of workplace conflict
- The context in which conflict is increasing in organisations
- Alternatives to mediation
- Why mediation has such a high success rate
- The Gibbons Review and its likely impact on organisations
- Why the grievance and disciplinary process often makes matters worse
- Compliance with organisational and legal frameworks
- Basic mediation, what it is and how it works
- The value of constructive resolution
- Embedding a new “culture” into existing structures
- Case studies of topical, relevant and real disputes
- Mediation practice sessions
- How to use mediation to resolve rather than settle issues
- Overcoming obstacles
- How to assist the parties explore and clarify the issues and feelings involved and to consider mediation as an option for resolving their difficulties
- Managing the mediation process
- How to draft mediation agreements
- The future of mediation as a dispute resolution tool