Imagine that your organisation is managing a huge lucrative project which includes people from a number of different departments. You’ve made great progress but there is tension between two of the inter-departmental team members. Their former rivalry has just got healthy as they are working together on the same project and now it feels like a full-blown personality clash.
This article focuses on mediation as a procedure to resolve commercial landlord and tenant disputes. It explains how the mediation procedure can be used as the first step to an agreed outcome.
An ideal business partnership involves all parties contributing their time and effort towards making the company a success. When you find that a partner isn’t pulling their weight, it’s critical to address the problem before things escalate and the business starts to suffer.
When most of us think of bullying, our minds most often flash back to the schoolyard or playground. When it comes to professional life, many of us expect a culture governed by rules that promotes mutual respect, as well as professional growth.
A new report from Acas published in May 2021 found that conflict at work costs the UK a staggering £28.5 billion a year, it’s an understatement to suggest that something needs to change. Add the financial cost to the psychological impact of ‘work warfare’ and you have a recipe for disaster, so how can we mitigate the consequences of workplace conflict? Unsurprisingly, conflict has a profound impact on our mental health (as well as our wallets), resulting in time off work, resignations and reduced productivity. The mental health impact of these scenarios is intense and far-reaching, affecting the entire workforce. It...
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We must keep tabs on our emotional temperature during a dispute to guard ourselves from acting irrationally or in a way that might harm the onset of negotiations. Ideally, one must gauge whether their emotions are currently manageable, starting to heat up or possess a potential threat of boiling over. If you too feel ambushed by your strong flow of emotions, you must take into account these few negotiation tips: 1. Develop an emergency plan Your emergency plan must be inclusive of a break or an 'out' that allows you to indulge in another activity to cool down.Step back from the heated...
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Conflicts and disputes can be resolved in many ways; these include litigation and mediation. But what's the difference? In laymen's terms, the easiest possible way to define the difference between litigation and mediation is the involvement of a court in conflict resolution. Litigation Litigation is resolving a dispute or a case by taking it to court (i.e., it's legally binding). The proceedings may be referred to as a lawsuit on legal grounds where the judge bears witness to the plaintiffs' claims against the defendant. Once initiated, litigation follows strict timelines and procedures, which can build a moment of direction paired with a...
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Conflicts can arise anywhere and anytime. They can be the result of differing needs, interests, opinions, or simply miscommunication. Letting things escalate to the point of no return is the worst thing you can do. Not only does it create an unproductive environment for the two involved parties, but other people are affected too. If you’ve decided to take the high road and work out your differences, here are three strategic tips that all parties—be it the mediator or those in conflict—can use to solve a dispute: 1. Keep your emotions in check Staying calm and controlling your emotions is the first tip I...
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The role of women in mediation has been downplayed for years now. Social stigmas, biases, and unequal opportunities are the most significant obstacles that women have to face throughout their careers. According to Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, only two percent of female mediators are involved in critical peace processes. This huge disparity is alarming, to say the least. Rarely heard and rarely acknowledged, in communities and cultures around the world women are often an afterthought in the peace process rather than active thought leaders and facilitators due to the changes that conflict can bring. Women in Mediation Research shows that...
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Business disputes are extremely common. They can occur even between the most amicable business partners working together in an otherwise healthy work environment. Whatever the source of conflict may be, you need to resolve it before things escalate. Here’s how you can restore order and save your business partnership. Active Listening You’d be surprised to know how effective active listening can be in resolving business conflicts. The mere act of actually listening to the other person and trying to understand their perspective can work wonders. It can also help prevent or clear any misunderstandings between the two parties. When you engage in active listening, you opt...
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