Dealing with people issues is like working with wonky doors but mediation can really help resolve these difficulties!
I just wanted to explain something that I often refer to when people talk to me about dealing with people issues. I often refer to it being like dealing with wonky doors! The reason for that goes back to my good old dad - who passed away a few years ago, unfortunately.
He was a joiner by trade. He always used to get frustrated with the teachings they did in joinery school for NVQs, etc. They always had a door frame that was perfectly square with a nice and flat new door. In his experience, however, it was always more like an old door that was warped and wonky.
No door is ever square - no door frame is ever square. Doors have warped and other various things, so there's a lot of work that has to be done to actually fit a door into a real-life door frame. Hopefully, most door frames are not that bad but the reality is that no two door frames are the same or square.
It's about people as well - leading people in my view is exactly the same.
The theory that you learn at college and you read in books is great - and it's got its place. But the reality is that no two people situations (just like door frames) are exactly the same - none are perfect.
There's nothing you're taught in the theory world to prepare you for every single situation in reality. What you've got to do, to get from that theory to the reality is yes, use the theories but you've got a lot of work to do in the middle with people - to deal with the reality of situations.
