Workplace disputes are on the rise and the demand for mediators is greater because it is a good alternative for employers who want to improve employee engagement. Group mediation is cost-effective and provides a safe place for employees to discuss and resolve work issues. It gives an opportunity for two opposing parties to work together to find an amicable resolution to their problem.
A Success Story of Team Mediation
I have mediated cases for General District court and facilitated informal individual and group mediations on my job. It is not uncommon for leadership to ask me to coordinate meetings to serve as a neutral for departments experiencing conflict. A director once asked me to mediate a small group of employees who filed complaints with human resources (HR) about their manager’s micro management style. The director tried talking with the manager about his performance, but did not see any change. For the sake of confidentiality, I will refer to the name of the manager as Zeke. Zeke supervised a team of eight professional employees who were fed up with his interference in their work. They complained of stress and exhaustion because Zeke was controlling and did not trust them to do their work. According to the team, manager was constantly looking over their shoulder. Gallup research found that the influence of a manager is so significant that they can predict about a 70% variance in team engagement which is directly related to the employee’s perceived business relationship with their boss. The fallout of these experiences can result in unfair treatment, unreasonable workloads, unclear communications, lack of managerial support and pressure to complete tasks.
Zeke’s actions were unintentional and he did not consider himself as a micro manager. His lack of awareness was the reason he did not hear the concerns of his employees. There was clearly a breakdown in communications. Zeke’s employees were expressing concerns to a deaf ear and that is why they went to HR and Zeke’s boss. On this surface, this micro managed team to look effective, but they were struggling. Zeke’s lack of trust in his team exacerbated the problem. Some of his employees sought employment elsewhere and resigned.
I realized the first step to helping this team get back on track required a private meeting with Zeke to gain his perspective of his team’s working relationship and ask if he was open to group mediation. He acknowledged the need for improvement in communications and agreed to mediation.
This group mediation process incorporated team-building techniques to also help improve communications, build trust and respect. My strategy included the following steps: an orientation of mediation for the team of professionals; the development of a customized assessment; scheduled group mediation sessions; a verbal or written agreement, if possible; offer recommendations; and coordination of a three month follow up.
Orientation.
The group mediation process was explained to the team. For example, they were told that I was a neutral who would facilitate sessions and not make a decision for them. It was also explained that the process was confidential and voluntary. Those interested in mediation were asked to notify me prior to the first group mediation session. Everyone agreed with the exception of one employee who lacked interest; however, this employee expressed interest in providing feedback about her work area through the assessment tool. Ground rules and confidentiality were also discussed.
Assessment
I developed and distributed a customized assessment to gather additional information on the core issues of the team. The entire team responded to this confidential assessment. Specific examples of micro management were provided by the team; however, the most astonishing one was about the manager’s insistence on collecting each team member’s passcode to check the voice mail messages of their office phone.
Group Mediation
Three dates were blocked on the calendar for meetings. This initial session was devoted to identifying team issues from the assessment and other concerns. The manager also provided a response to the assessment, but did not attend the first meeting. He wanted the team to feel comfortable talking freely and safe. The manager attended and participated in the remaining sessions. Also, the employee that opted out of first group mediation session changed her mind and attended the next two sessions. She said that feedback from her colleagues about the mediation was favorable. So, the entire team made a commitment to resolve their conflicts as a group.
Zeke was in attendance at the second session. The core issues were respectfully identified and articulated by team members and Zeke listened carefully of specific examples of micro management as perceived by the team. An employee stated that it was not necessary to share their voicemail codes because they sometimes receive messages about doctor’s appointments or other personal messages. Interestingly, Zeke’s response to requiring passcodes to the team’s voicemail boxes was that he was fearful of team members missing their deadlines and returning important messages from the C-Suite. It was the first time in this meeting that team members understood Zeke’s rationale for making this requirement even though they were still not in agreement. Team members were also able to communicate things they liked about working under Zeke’s leadership. He was described as a subject-matter expert in his field and personable at times.
Agreement
A verbal agreement was reached between Zeke and his team at the third and final session. The team agreed to solidify their responsibility and their manager’s role on a team charter. As for Zeke, he agreed to stop requiring his team to provide their passcodes so that he could access the voicemail of their office phone.
Follow up
After the three group mediation sessions, I provided Zeke’s boss with an overview of the key issues discussed by the entire team and informed him that the team worked collaboratively and created a team charter to keep everyone focused on their desired outcomes.
Lessons learned from this experience are due to the willingness of Zeke and his team to have hard conversations which resulted in better outcomes. He had a greater awareness of his perceived micro management style and the need to trust his team more. Zeke agreed to show support by delegating assignments with the stipulations that team will be accountable for their work assignments. The team ended the sessions feeling more empowered and comfortable expressing their ideas because they knew the manager was listening.
Although group mediation was an effective method for building trust and respect in this case, there was more work needed for the manager and his team regarding their day-to-day interactions on work assignments. A key recommendation for Zeke was to seek executive coaching and training opportunities to enhance his management skills. It was recommended that the team adhere to the team charter which included regular team meetings to maintain open communications, celebrate successes, accept constructive feedback, and most importantly accept responsibility for their work.
SOURCE:
WORKPLACE The Ultimate Guide to Micromanagers: Signs, Causes, Solutions -The Ultimate Guide to Micromanagers: Signs, Causes, Solutions
BY BEN WIGERT AND RYAN PENDELL
