The Power is YOURS

When parties are involved in conflict knowledge is power. You may ask, what do I mean by that? By being aware of the various resources and tools that are available, I am better equip to navigate through the conflict process. In my previous blog, Conflict is an Opportunity I addressed the three stages of conflict: before, during, and after. I discussed a conflict that I had with a colleague regarding an e-mail correspondence that was not received well. Although it was resolved, what would have happened if it did not reach a resolution? What if we started harboring resentment and acting out our frustrations? Perhaps the other party goes to human resources and complains that now they are in a hostile work environment and the conflict escalates from there.

An option to prevent this negative conflict spiral is to try Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). ADR offers various techniques for resolving conflict outside of legal action. A form of ADR that may be appropriate for my e-mail dispute is mediation. The mediation process involves two or more parties, who meet with a third party that has no stake in the outcome of the mediation. They are neutral or impartial to the conflict.  During the mediation process, the mediator is overseeing the conversation between myself and my co-worker to enable us to better communicate, understand one another, and help us identify our interests and options for resolving the dispute.

There are various resources available to try mediation. Some organizations have mediation programs to mediate workplace conflicts, and some communities have community mediation centers that offer mediation to local residents. You may also locate a private practitioner by using this search directory.

If you are interested in trying mediation or are curious about what questions to  ask a potential mediator listen to the Texas Conflict Coach® podcast by Louise Phipps Senft from Louise Phipps Senft and Associates, and founder of the Baltimore Mediation Center.  You may also listen to the podcast by Cordell Wesselink. Wesselink is the ADR Programs Director from Community Boards, the oldest community mediation center in the country.  If you have an unresolved conflict that is festering, I encourage you to try ADR.

By Tracy Culbreath

Graduate Student, University of Baltimore – Negotiation and Conflict Management Program