Did you know the use of proactive mediation in the workplace can effectively decrease the costly effects of lingering conflict, and in turn increase morale, productivity and overall organizational success?
Historically, organizations have waited until workplace conflict turns into the worst-case scenario – EEO complaints and litigation – before seeking resolution through professional mediation services. By that point a great deal of damage has been done, and a high price has already been paid, in the form of lost productivity of the involved parties (as well as uninvolved, but “interested” parties); decreased morale and trust, as positions are taken and speculations rise; and do I even need to mention how quickly litigation fees accrue? Recently, we came across the following Grapevine article discussing the benefits of proactively using mediation in the workplace, and we just had to share!
Check it out for more detail and stats on how you can bring professional mediation into your workplace as a tool to improve your “bottom line”:
Why HR is missing a trick with mediation:
Proactive Mediation can improve staff productivity and morale, according to Andrew Dane.
He is a workplace mediation specialist, and a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, as well as an employment law expert. He spoke to Executive Grapevine about how workplace conflicts can tear offices apart, and explained how mediation can be used by HR to calm delicate situations.
Dane explained how a lack of flexible working conditions, damage to the organization’s credibility and even inept management can lead to a loss of productivity and morale. However, he notes that the more hidden and immediate danger is stress, which in turn can lead to depression and anxiety.
“This has the effect of staff missing deadlines, significant projects not being completed on time and low staff morale,” comments Dane. “In addition, staff that are stressed are more susceptible to becoming ill, which can mean high sickness rates and increased workloads for existing staff. At its most damaging, conflict in the workplace results in high turnover, damage to the credibility of the organization and, on occasion, violence amongst staff.
“Sometimes conflict can ventilate problems, as not all conflict is harmful, it all depends on how the conflict is managed.”
According to a February 2015 CIPD survey, the average cost of stress-related absence is normally somewhere between 30-60% of total missed work days.
Dane continues: “HR Managers and Departments could benefit by the early implementation of mediation in the Workplace. Often mediation is only implemented when the problem has manifested itself and is more difficult to satisfactorily resolve.”
“By engaging the services of qualified, experienced and accredited workplace mediators, or training in-house mediators to resolve conflict at an early stage, you can avoid costly adversarial litigation have a happier workforce and increase productivity and, in the end, augment the ‘bottom line’.”
If you think your business and workplace will benefit from proactive meditation, schedule a free consultation with Perspectives. We are the leader in workplace conflict resolution. Click here to contact us or call 407-926-2451.