How mediation can help – 3 case studies
1. Communication issues between line manager and employee
A team member was having difficulties with her supervisor and had tried on numerous occasions to approach him. The two were locked into an ongoing dispute about their respective roles, responsibilities and performance.
Both agreed to take part in mediation, and as a first step, met individually with mediators at a neutral venue away from their workstations. At these meetings, both spoke freely about their various concerns.
At a subsequent roundtable mediation session to explore issues raised in the earlier interviews, other issues emerged which had a direct bearing on the team member’s situation. As the meeting progressed, a series of possible practical outcomes from the meeting were suggested and then examined by both parties, a process given clarity, but not direction, by the mediators.
The meeting marked a turning point in establishing a better working relationship between the two, setting in place more honest and open communication than had previously been possible.
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2. Students sharing a kitchen
A student from abroad was having problems in her kitchen group. Ever since she arrived one of the other students made negative comments about her food, the look of it and the smell. She got very upset and tried to eat at different times when the other members of her kitchen group were out but they were often around and she didn’t want to just eat cold snacks.
She went to the Advice and Representation Centre whoreferred her to the Mediation Services Manager. Two mediators were allocated to the case. The mediators met with her and she explained her feelings about the situation and what she would like to happen.
At first the other members of the kitchen group were reluctant to take part in the mediation but after discussion also agreed to take part.
Following the round table mediation session with all parties concerned, the kitchen group built up an understanding and a way forward together.
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3. ‘Frosty’ atmosphere
Two colleagues who had been working together for several years became distant with one colleague alleging that the other had ignored her on a number of occasions. This caused upset because the colleagues, along with others in their team, had attended the same social eventsout of work hours.They had been good friends in the past.
The relationship in the workplace became strained and other work colleagues noticed the frosty atmosphere when they were both in the same location.
The line manager contacted the Mediation Service Manager who arranged for mediation.
In the individual meeting one of the parties said that they had no idea why they needed to discuss their relationship with the other party. As far as they were concerned there was nothing wrong they had just changed the way they related to one another. They also said that they did not think that social relationships had anything to do with how they related to one another at work. Inspite of this initial reaction, both parties had their individual meetings followed by the roundtable mediation session with the mediators.
At the roundtable mediation session both parties said that they found it helpful to learn how the other party was feeling about the deterioration of their relationship – they seemed to work around each other in the workplace but realised that they needed to change the way they related to one another to improve the atmosphere for them and their colleagues.
They worked on a solution that they could both move forward with.
At the request of both parties the outcome of the roundtable agreement was reported to the line manager.
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