About the webinar
When workplace investigations end, the hardest work often begins. An investigation may establish findings, but it rarely repairs the damage left behind. By the time a matter reaches mediation, trust is often fractured, positions are entrenched, and the power landscape has shifted – sometimes irreversibly. One party may feel validated, another exposed or silenced, and both may be wary of what comes next.
As a mediator, you are stepping into a space shaped by judgement, risk, and unresolved emotion – not a clean slate.
This webinar is designed for mediators working in that reality.
What you'll learn:
This session explores the distinct and often underestimated challenges of mediating after a formal investigation – and asks critical questions many mediators grapple with but rarely name.
Is this still mediation in its purist form, or something different?
Parties want to re-argue the facts, challenge the findings, or feel trapped by them
“Neutrality” is tested because the process already produced winners, losers, and risk judgement
Findings are weaponised or people are unable (or unwilling) to move beyond what has been determined
The mediator is implicitly expected to stabilise outcomes rather than simply facilitate dialogue.
You’ll gain tools for working with power imbalances that have shifted or hardened as a result of the investigation process, strategies for rebuilding just enough safety and trust to enable meaningful dialogue and insights into recalibrating your role – knowing when to hold the mediation frame, and when a more structured, reality-based or containment-focused approach is required.
Sarah will also address the judgement calls mediators are often left to make without clear guidance, including:
- assessing readiness and timing – when mediation may be expected but not yet appropriate
- design a process when standard models don’t fit the context
- managing competing expectations from HR, leadership, legal advisors, and the parties themselves without losing clarity about what mediation can and cannot do.
Who should attend:
It is also highly relevant for HR professionals involved in investigations, employee relations, performance management, or post-complaint restoration, who are often required to manage risk, support leaders, and help teams move forward after difficult processes.
About your trainer:
Drawing on deep expertise in conflict assessment, de-escalation, negotiation, and influence, Sarah supports clients to build calm, clarity, and capability in the moments that matter most. She works across government, corporate, and regulated environments, advising leaders facing high-stakes conversations, competing priorities, cultural tension, and public or internal scrutiny.
Sarah’s clients include the World Bank, BHP, Australian Federal Police, Australian Defence Force, and federal, state, and local government bodies. She holds postgraduate qualifications in Strategic Affairs and Cross-Cultural Peace Making and Leadership, bringing a rare blend of strategic thinking, human insight, and operational realism.
An award-winning practitioner, TEDx speaker, and best-selling author, Sarah has delivered advisory work and capability-building programs across nine countries. Today, her work centres on developing conflict-capable leaders and systems – equipping organisations to respond early, de-escalate safely, negotiate effectively, and make better decisions under pressure. She is a regular media commentator on conflict, leadership, culture, and governance.
I want to learn more!