Workplace Conflict

When Someone Asks You to “Facilitate a Conversation” Rather Than Mediate

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You trained as a mediator. You’ve learned about impartiality, confidentiality, and party self-determination. Now a colleague or manager asks if you can “facilitate a difficult conversation” between two people in their team. It sounds like mediation. It feels adjacent to mediation. But before you say yes, it’s worth understanding what you’re actually being asked to […]

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Caught in the Gossip Trap: When Social Pressure Replaces Constructive Feedback in the Workplace

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“One obvious sign you’re living in a gossip trap is when the primary mode of dispute resolution becomes social pressure.” —Erik Hoel, The Gossip Trap I came across this quote after the first session of our Workplace Conflict Practice Group, where we explored the dynamics of workplace conflict—what fuels it, what silences it, and why

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When the Boss Is Exhibiting Challenging Behaviours

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I recently had an interesting conversation with someone who started out by describing their boss as a “narcissistic personality” and who was looking for some advice about how to get them to change their behaviours towards staff. Work with behaviours, not labels The first step is to emphasize the importance of avoiding labelling the boss

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WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Generations by Jean M. Twenge

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“At a time when generational conflict – from work attitudes to cancel culture to “OK, Boomer” – is at a level not seen since the 1960s, separating the myths from the reality of generations is more important than ever.” Jean Twenge This book is absolutely fascinating. Twenge has collated data across many generations and then

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Neurodiversity, emotions and conflict

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Many of the challenges that arise when neurodiverse and neurotypical people are involved in conflict are due to each person’s different way of experiencing, expressing and regulating emotions, and also the neurotypical assumptions on which many of our conflict resolution processes are based. With greater understanding and flexible approaches in the way we support diverse people

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