This topic might make some of us break into a cold sweat – fostering healthy conflict at the workplace. I spoke with Kate Otting about this – as a mediator, she’s adept at handling conflict.

Kate is the head of Interaction Management Associates, specializing in mediation. She has an impressive career portfolio, having worked in South Africa, served as the Director of Mediation for the Iowa Peace Institute and the Arizona Attorney General, and currently holds the position of Director of Mediation for the City of Phoenix.

In this episode, Kate shares her insights on:

Understanding when conflict is healthy and when it is harmful. Hint: it’s harmful when it festers.
Techniques to engage in conflict with confidence and compassion. Pretend you’re watching it from a balcony!
The role of patience and understanding in managing conflict. Patience can be hard when emotions are running high.
Resources to help.

This episode is a goldmine for HR professionals seeking to foster a culture of healthy conflict resolution at their workplaces. Check out the link in the comments to watch the full episode!

Here are some links Kate has offered:

IMA courses: http://bit.ly/40AT5Be – save 30% on any course or bundle with promo code HRHUB

Free downloadable tools:
• Listening skills checklist
• Checklist for becoming a mediator
• Open-ended questions workbook
• How to Respectfully Disagree Like a Pro – workbook

Find me at thehrhub.ca.

The post From Mediation Skills To Conflict Confidence appeared first on HR West Consulting - Elevating Success.

In HR we have to navigate the boundaries between us and leadership. We want to provide good service, but we can’t enable leaders to avoid their responsibilities.

This week’s guest was Pam Schmidt. Pam, a leadership and organization development consultant, shared her experiences and insights on a common challenge in HR and offered some practical advice (and a little bit of spine!).

Pam discussed:

2⃣ Two ways leaders may approach HR that may be misguided: role clarity and team function.

Why she sees these as ‘red flags’ and what could be going wrong underneath.

Her approach to supporting leaders

Why she thinks HR sometimes steps in anyhow.

Ultimately it works best if leaders take responsibility for their team’s dynamics.

By tuning into this episode, you will learn about:
The importance of leaders in handling challenging situations and setting clear expectations.
The role of HR professionals in supporting leaders while maintaining their own boundaries.
The significance of role clarity and team function in an organization.
How to approach conflict and feedback in a leadership role.

Find Pam on LinkedIn (@pamschmidt1).

Find Andrea at thehrhub.ca.

The post Skills HR Professionals Should Have: Avoiding A Leader’s Work appeared first on HR West Consulting - Elevating Success.

In the world of HR, conflict resolution is an everyday thing. Employees frequently seek us out to help them resolve their conflict. Incorporating mediation for HR can help.

Mediation skills are made up of skills we already have. The thing that gets in our way is usually fear or discomfort around conflict. So you need to practice. Unfortunately.

I actually went looking for someone to talk to about alternative dispute resolution. Mediation is one element but I’ll have to cover other aspects of ADR later. However I found Kate Otting in the process. She is CEO of Interaction Management Associates and has led mediation groups all over. Currently she is the Director of Mediation for the City of Phoenix. She says:

Mediation may one of the few fields where mediocrity is the goal. See the video.

The more we engage with conflict (notice I didn’t say ‘in’), the more adept we become at managing it.

Conflict is expensive x 10. I can only imagine how much time I’ve spent on conflict never mind the economy.

When is the last time an employee came in your office to vent?

Here are some links Kate has offered:

• IMA courses – save 30% on any course or bundle with promo code HRHUB.

Free downloadable tools:
• Listening skills checklist
• Checklist for becoming a mediator
• Open-ended questions workbook
• How to Respectfully Disagree Like a Pro – workbook

Find me at thehrhub.ca.

The post Mediation for HR: Everyday Skills for Conflict appeared first on HR West Consulting - Elevating Success.

Let’s talk about handling those “difficult” employees we encounter as HR professionals. You know, the ones who regularly seem to make our lives a bit more ‘interesting’?

We’re supposed to be giving advice in HR, but sometimes it’s hard for us to know!

I spoke with Emily Lord, Senior HR Consultant with HR West. She is a master of reframing (not spinning) and handling people with decency. She recognizes these are tough and says:

1⃣ Mis’s happen: Miscommunications. Mistakes. Misunderstandings. Watch for them and don’t be afraid to acknowledge them!

2⃣ Shine a light on blind spots. Ever had a team member genuinely unaware of a problem? This is when performance management is most likely to work well.

3⃣ Reflect on the role of leadership: Sometimes it’s not the employee and we have to walk a fine line in HR.

4⃣ Don’t wait, take the plunge: Procrastination won’t solve anything, my friends! Don’t let probation pass knowing there’s a problem to solve!

Find Emily at www.hrwest.ca for consulting in Western Canada.

The post Handling Difficult Employees appeared first on HR West Consulting - Elevating Success.