Mediation

What is mediation ?

Mediation is an amicably and confidential process aiming at helping people to elaborate solutions in order to resolve a conflict.
The mediator’s mission is to create conditions that allow people to listen to each other and to build together an agreement that satisfies the needs of the different parties.

What are the advantages of mediation?

Mediation is an efficient (80% of mediations lead into an agreement) and quick process (a few sessions are generally enough).

Mediation can resolve a conflict between two colleagues, between a manager and his or her team, between an employee and his or her employer… It is particularly adapted for the resolution of a conflict between two people that have to keep working together since it will allow to solve the relational problem.

It can also be invaluable when it comes to developing key employees’ loyalty. Eventually, it allows to avoid to go to court for a number of disputes.

How much does conflict cost in companies?

The professional context is favourable to a rise in conflicts. It can be constructive and enrich a company. However, it can also be expensive for employees and organisations. The issue is not about the fact that a conflict exists, it comes from the way we are dealing with it and its consequences if it is not settled.
In a lot of companies, unsettled conflicts represent the major part of the costs than can be reduced. It can lead to: stress, frustration, complains, decreasing productivity, absenteeism, sick leaves, sabotage or resignations…
However, most of the time, they are badly or not managed at all, mainly because of a lack of expertise of the managers when it comes to conflicts managements.

A few figures:

• In France, 50% of employees are stressed because of relational tensions in their professional environment.
• One resignation out of two is linked to chronic conflicts.
• More than 65% of output problems are linked to bad relationships between employees and not to deficits in people’s capacity or motivation.
• Up to 30% of a manager’s time is devoted to resolve conflicts.
• Studies show that there is a direct link between the existence of conflicts among employees and the quantity of damages and stealing in the inventories.