The solution to workplace disputes isn’t always about repairing the relationship - sometimes in fact, it’s better for all parties to part ways.

People (including other mediators) often ask me what the difference is between workplace and employment mediation. 

I’ve written a little blog to explain the difference, giving an example of a discrimination case I mediated which moved from workplace to employment in order to reach a resolution. 

All of our mediators are interested in just one thing - helping people to reach a resolution, which means they no longer waste time and (most importantly) avoid the stress of disputes - not to mention all the money that everyone can save.

At Pragmatism we never give up helping people reach solutions, and if we need to move mediation types to help employees and organisations, then that’s what we do! Pragmatic in both name and nature!
 

Not all disputes are between two people - often several people have issues with each other, or teams are working against each other.

Whether it’s Fred and Sheila not talking to each other, Manufacturing and Sales having tensions or Managers and Trade Unions in disputes over pay - we’ve been there and have the well worn t-shirts to show it!

Team and group disputes can be mediated or we can facilitate conversations - it’s just about knowing how!

How would you describe the culture in your organisation - a beautiful tree or Japanese Knotweed? In this blog I describe some of the things I see in organisations which drive employees to leave and will choke the organisation in the long run.

There is a bit of a naughty word within the blog, but it’s the only way I can best describe the lives that I see many employees endure in what they themselves class as toxic cultures - and it would surprise you to know some of the ‘prestigious’ brands they work for!

Is changing culture really like the proverbial super tanker that takes an eternity and is incredibly complex to turn around - or is it more of an excuse?

In this blog I explore a couple of examples of one leader literally changing the culture of a large organisation overnight and demonstrating perfectly how insights change thinking, which change behaviours and these in turn change culture.

Laws, policies and processes don’t change culture - people do!

We deal with many cases every month where the word bullying has been used in grievances and complaints. One of the (many) reasons why grievances make things worse are the accusations that people throw at each other.

People tend to do two things when they write a grievance. Firstly, they think of everything negative they possibly can about the other person. Secondly, they use the strongest words possible such as “bullying” and “discrimination”, etc.

When the other person hears the allegations they will only react one way and it won’t be good for anybody. Often we forget the impact on the “accused”.

Mediation isn’t rocket science but it’s incredibly effective (we currently run at a resolution rate of 96%) - in our latest blog about bullying, we explain why.