How to Mediate Employee Arguments

Arguments between employees damper morale and damage relations between employees if they're left to fester, especially in a small or close-knit company or department. Depending on the severity of the argument, it may be necessary for a mediator to step in and help resolve the conflict.

Instructions

1. Understand the framework that the employees are working within, including any applicable policies. In order to mediate, you need to be impartial to the employees involved and the policies may be a direct factor in the reason for the argument. It's your job to facilitate a safe meeting where the conflict can be discussed and resolved.

2. Meet with the employees individually first. The employees to need to trust that you aren't taking sides but rather trying to facilitate a resolution or compromise. Listen to what each employee has to say without causing them to feel interrupted, rushed or like they are being judged.

3. Schedule a time to meet with all involved employees once you have heard each side of the argument. This is the time to move towards ending the conflict.

4. Establish rules for the meditation before you allow the employees to discuss the situation. Let the employees know what the rules are and what the consequences are if the rules are broken. You must firmly establish your expectations for the employees and their behavior to reach a resolution among all parties.

5. Help the employees resolve underlying issues. Many people let small irritations build up to a moment where they finally can't take any more and an argument erupts. When you mediate between employees, resolve the underlying issues to keep them from reoccurring, even if the issues appear minor.

6. Realize that perception is unique. An employee can be so caught up in being right that they don't want to consider the other person's perspective. You may need to help employees see things from the other's perspective before the conflict can be resolved.

7. Outline how to implement the resolution before you finalize the mediation. The goal is to be able to resolve the conflict, which may include compromises on both parts. Each employee needs to understand how she contributed to the argument, what she can do to move past the argument and the consequences of reverting back to a state of conflict.