Organizational Conflict: You Don't Have to Terminate or Performance Manage

Conflict resolution is the option most organizations skip when two employees stop being able to work together. Chartered mediator Michelle Phaneuf explains how facilitated conversations resolve workplace conflict, what the process looks like from first call to solution, and why letting someone go often kicks the can down the road. If the problems stem from your systems you aren't fixing anything. Michelle is a partner at Workplace Fairness West in Calgary with more than 15 years in conflict management. What you will get from this episode: ⚙️ Why conflict that looks like a clash between two people is often a systemic problem that will re-emerge again with new people. 💸 The cost comparison organizations rarely consider: restoration versus the cost of firing one of the people then recruiting, hiring and retraining a replacement 😶 The prep is the most important part as usual. You're not just going to go into a meeting cold. 💪 How to handle the power difference when the conflict is between a manager and an employee ‼ Why she uses the words 'workplace restoration'. 'Mediation' has a lot of mental baggage and more than is probably warranted. Success will not two employees who are now best friends. But also, that is not unheard of. 00:00 Intro 00:58 When organizations decide restoration is worth it 02:08 The emotional energy employees have to spend 02:47 The cost of workplace restoration versus the cost of replacing someone 03:22 Psychological safety and organizational risk 03:54 Conflict never stays between two people 04:29 Why not just fire someone? 04:48 Systemic issues behind individual conflict 06:02 Walking through a facilitated conversation 07:21 Preparing each person 08:39 Confidentiality and differences in authority 09:17 Building understanding before finding solutions 10:21 How the in-person conversation starts 11:35 Why Michelle avoids the word mediation 12:06 What makes restoration successful 13:43 Power dynamics between manager and employee 15:16 Defining success 16:41 The continuum of working relationships 17:22 Red flags that restoration will fail 19:05 How long the process actually takes 21:35 Restoration with whole teams 22:06 Where to find Michelle **Find Michelle** Website: https://workplacefairnesswest.ca/michelle-phaneuf/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellephaneuf/ Firm website: https://workplacefairnesswest.ca/ **Find Andrea (me)** Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/