Frequently Asked Questions

We understand that as an employee/participant, manager, Human Resources or People & Culture Partner, Union representative or friend of someone involved in one of our processes, there may be many questions you have initially. We have tried to address some of the more obvious questions here and employees of our Corporate Members have access to additional resources. Importantly though, please rest assured that your AWM Consultant or Mediator will clearly outline the process to you and happily answer any questions you may have.

When you say mediation or facilitated discussion is confidential, what do you mean?

The issue of confidentiality is discussed and agreed prior to commencing any of AWM’s processes. In some situations, a HR representative or senior manager may be provided with general information indicating that the process has concluded, in other situations, referring managers may be provided with more detailed information and feedback regarding the process and various outcomes. Whatever is the case, this will be transparent and made known to all participants in advance of any substantive discussions.

How do you assess which option for resolution will be most effective?

We work with our clients and their teams to:

Participate in an Intake Process to diagnose what may be causing friction or dysfunction in workplace communication or relationships;
Identify options to address;
Participate in an appropriate process to connect people and resolve the issues; and
Learn new strategies and practices they can use to improve collaboration and effectiveness in their face-to-face and online interactions

The Intake Process will generally involve one or more discussions between the AWM Consultant and the briefing manager and/or the parties themselves. At the conclusion of this process, the AWM Consultant will take into consideration the background to the issues, preferred approaches of the parties, potential options for resolution and will make an assessment about the recommended resolution process.

What does a Mediator or Facilitator do?

The role of the Mediator (or Facilitator in the case of a Facilitated Discussion) is to guide and support the parties through a process of having their perspectives understood by the other parties, generating options to resolve the issues and often settling on options which satisfy the needs of each.

Mediators from AWM do not:

Take sides
Give legal advice or interpretations
Make decisions for the parties or impose solutions
Force or coerce parties to agree to any outcomes or proposals other than the guidelines for the mediation itself.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a problem solving and decision making process where a neutral professional (the Mediator), assists the parties in conflict to discuss, develop and, if possible agree to, lasting solutions which meet their needs. Participants in Mediations can range from two people to a large group.

Our Mediation process will normally commence with a one-to-one preliminary discussion with each party, after which participants will be provided with support material to assist them to prepare for the joint discussion or discussions to follow.

What is a Facilitated Discussion?

A Facilitated Discussion is an alternative problem solving and decision making process where a neutral professional (the Facilitator), assists the parties in conflict to discuss, develop and, if possible agree to, lasting solutions which meet their needs. A Facilitated Discussion is a flexible and extremely adaptable process and is especially effective in supporting individuals and teams to work through both interpersonal and operational or process issues during one discussion.

What types of workplace conflict can you help with?

We assist our clients and their people with a wide range of situations, from those who simply need tools and coaching to improve an already effective team, to those requiring timely and experienced intervention for significant conflicts at work. Some examples include:

Co-workers who cannot get along or are in dispute - ie. cases of alleged bullying or overt/covert hostility, allegations of harassment, personality clashes, team dynamics going wrong

Conflict between managers, teams or departments

Conflict between an employee and their manager/supervisor/team leader

Why should we try to address conflict in the workplace?

In every conflict situation there are hidden costs and business risks, there is time, effort and anxiety sunk into conflict. There is potential for industrial disruption, legal action and damaging publicity.

Unresolved conflict often results in

Damaged relationships leading to poor decision making and teamwork
Low morale/ productivity
Low staff morale leads to reduced customer satisfaction
Higher turnover
Absenteeism
Costly claims and litigation

Organisations are also subject to employment laws meaning it is important to effectively manage conflict in the workplace where it may be impacting people or performance. Invariably, turning a blind eye will not make an issue go away. Rather, it will likely become more entrenched and damaging to the individuals involved and, often, to those who watch it take place.

What is a Workplace Assessment?

A Workplace Assessment can be a very effective process in situations where concerns may have been raised within or about a team, and the leadership team is keen to understand whether the concerns are valid and what improvements could be made. Our approach at AWM is to design a process involving speaking with members of a team on a confidential basis and reporting back themes to the business about the views of the team and making recommendations for improvement.

What is the benefit of using a third party Mediator or Facilitator?

Introducing a skilled third party such as a Mediator or Facilitator to a discussion has been shown to greatly assist the parties themselves to understand their own and the other party's interests more deeply, rather than to simply focus on maintaining their own entrenched position. The Mediator or Facilitator will also encourage each party to realistically assess their own options in relation to the issues at hand and make considered decisions on that basis. Importantly, these processes allow the parties an opportunity to make their own decisions about a particular issue as opposed to having decisions imposed by others. There is space for creative agreements to be reached and for people to know they have had the opportunity to be heard.

For employers, the benefits of these processes include the ability to quickly address an issue, confidentially and in a cost effective manner in comparison to potential legal action.

How can coaching help?

We provide coaching to individuals who are experiencing challenges within their own working relationships and also to line managers, supervisors, executives and HR professionals who are tasked with managing a team that is experiencing conflict and/or poor collaboration.

Our model ensures participants come away with practical strategies and tools they can try out straight away in their workplace. Coaching may involve a small number of sessions or a more structured, longer term program. Contact us to discuss how we can assist you.