How to avoid another year of Trexit
2016 was a year of divisive politics. In the UK, factions formed around the ‘Leave’ and ‘Remain’ camps. In the US, the battle lines were drawn between supporters of Trump and those of Clinton. In both cases, the rhetoric was vicious and saw a rise in hate-related incidents. It was easy to point fingers and […]
Putting empathy back on the workplace agenda
One of the more surprising items on the British political agenda this year was empathy. This is largely thanks to Labour leader Ed Miliband, who has cited empathy as one of his core political values and has even recruited the help of empathy expert Professor Simon Baron Cohen to develop his “politics of empathy”. It […]
Understanding the psychology of conflict
Organisations devote huge amounts of money to conflict: in trying to prevent it, and trying to manage it when it does arise. So it is well worth devoting time to understanding this phenomenon that is conflict. Where does it come from? And why does it arise with such predictable regularity? We can see conflict in […]
Conflict resolution: Learning from the lessons of the Anglican Church
The concept of mediation has been splashed across the headlines lately due to a suitably high-profile conflict: the Anglican Church has been divided in two by the issue of women bishops. But the Church is facing the same question as any conflict-stricken organisation does: what is the best approach to bring about a sustainable, long-term […]
Mediation: Part Four – How to deal with the outcome
When destructive workplace conflict rears its ugly head, it will typically be an HR professional who suggests mediation as an option to try and resolve the situation By the time the case gets to mediation, this ‘referrer’ will probably have invested significant time and emotion in it and will most likely have expectations about the […]
Mediation: Part Three – How to prepare participants effectively
The prospect of attending a mediation session in order to try and settle a workplace dispute can be very daunting for everyone concerned. So what can HR professionals do to support people and help prepare them for the big day? 1. Clarify the mediation process Most providers supply all parties with a written document […]