Leader as Mediator

Facilitating conflict related discussions in team meetings, or in discussions between team members who are in conflict (or not talking to one another) can be a challenge for leaders. They tell me they worry about not being impartial, uncertain of how to navigate the different power imbalances that are at play, and how to know when the leader should make a determination on the outcome versus letting the parties resolve it together.

Leading and facilitating difficult conversations between disgruntled team members can be messy and go off the rails quickly. It can be difficult for leaders to change hats from their leader role to the objective third party to the conversation. It can be just as difficult for your employees to see you this way too.

Leaders need to be comfortable setting (and implementing) courtesies for the conversation, and, to support the parties in communicating without blaming or shaming, and to facilitate the discussion about what happened (root causes), explore their underlying interests, and create solutions/agreements that are mutually satisfactory. Leaders as facilitators also play a role of reframing, helping parties find common ground and clarifying assumptions that pop up or that have driven the situation to the state it is at now.

For many years I have been teaching my Leader as Mediator course to help leaders and HR professionals step into the role of facilitating conflict related discussions with more ease, confidence and structure.

I am delighted to be collaborating with The Expert Talk on some special trainings for Conflict Resolution Day, October 17, 2024.

In the morning I'll be leading Conflict Navigation 101 and will be covering:

• An understanding of the five conflict management styles
• A 5-step road map for navigating conflict (and other hard conversations)
• Back pocket scripts for difficult, sensitive, or challenging conversations

In the afternoon, the topic is Leader as Mediator, and in this 90 minute session, I'll be covering:

• Awareness of how to set the conversation up for success and resolution
• Strategies to create a safe meeting environment and meeting courtesies for all participants
• The essential skills & steps to facilitating conflict-related discussions between employees
• Strategies to remain impartial and to navigate power imbalances
• Three missteps to avoid when facilitating these conversations
• How to keep your cool when the conversation goes sideways – and how to get it back on track
• Follow up strategies to ensure agreements are working and to support employees

This training will help leaders and emerging leaders advance their courageous dialogue and conflict resolution toolbox, learn proven practical strategies that can be put into action immediately, and, build confidence in these challenging situations.

Registration is now open for these events, (live online training) and the sessions will be recorded in the event you can't join us live online on October 17. Whether you're an emerging or long-time leader, the day will be packed with?insights & strategies from our expert?that'll support you in?navigating conflict?at work and in your team more effectively - while maintaining?trust and psychological safety?for all involved.?

Pick the session?that interests you most or join them both for all the insights & information.?Plus,?save 15%?when registering for both sessions.?

We hope to see you October 17, but until then here are a few tips to get you started....

1. Proving someone wrong doesn't make you right. I created this quote almost 30 years ago when I was a mediator, and I saw everyday how much energy people put into proving each other wrong instead of understanding each other.
2. It's important to go into these conversations emotionally regulated ... if not, your "energy" and emotional state sets an environment for others in the conversation.
3. Open ended questions are key .... who, what, where, when, why and how.
4. As Shrek says, there are many layers. Conflict is much like an onion. There are many layers to the people involved but also to the conversation at hand. Taking time to understand, ask questions and be curious helps you move to resolution.
5. Our mindset about the people involved, the situation at hand and how people are showing up sets a tone for the conversation. It's important to do a mindset check-in before for the call.

About Charmaine Hammond, MA, CSP:

Charmaine (she/her) has an MA in conflict management, and has spent more than 25 years working in mediation, negotiation, and crisis response. She has owned her business for more than 25 years, and in this time has trained more than half million people on dealing with difficult people and situations. She has helped clients in many industries build collaborative, resilient and engaged workplaces, develop high trust/high accountability relationships, and solve workplace issues and conflict that gets in the way of success and profitability. She is respected as a “no fluff” and “rich content” speaker who delivers tangible tools to put into action immediately.

This former Correctional Officer, and Corporate Dispute Resolution Expert now travels the country teaching the principles of collaboration, communication, conflict resolution and resilience. She has an extensive background facilitating collaborations and workplace/team relationships when they go sideways. https://charmainehammond.com/