{"id":24382,"date":"2024-10-18T15:48:12","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T04:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.relationshipsnsw.org.au\/?p=24382"},"modified":"2025-04-11T17:01:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T07:01:50","slug":"workplace-conflict-accidental-mediator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.relationshipsnsw.org.au\/zh\/blog\/workplace-conflict-accidental-mediator\/","title":{"rendered":"\u5e94\u5bf9\u804c\u573a\u51b2\u7a81\uff1a\u4e3a\u4ec0\u4e48\u4eba\u4eec\u9700\u8981\u6280\u80fd\u6765\u5904\u7406\u201c\u65e5\u5e38\u201d\u5206\u6b67"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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As <\/span>a<\/span> clinical psychologist and <\/span>CEO of <\/span>Relationships Australia NSW, <\/span>a<\/span>n<\/span> organisation<\/span> that <\/span>has <\/span>75<\/span> years\u2019 experience<\/span> helping people navigate difficult conversations, <\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span> witnessed<\/span> the profound impact that conflict can have on our lives<\/span>. Whether <\/span>it\u2019s<\/span> with our partner, family members, kids, friends, or even colleagues, <\/span>conflict can cause people immense stress and worry.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Workplace conflict, in particular, has an interesting way of creeping up on us. It can start as a minor issue, but when not dealt with or managed adequately, it can fester or snowball. The next time an incident happens, it can add to the pile, making us less resilient or less confident in tackling it. Colleagues around us might start to notice and weigh in with their own experiences and suggestions. Some of us might experience anxiety or stress about going to work<\/a>, a decrease in productivity, a change in our previously positive attitude, an inability to switch off from work<\/a>, difficulty sleeping, and find it impacts our personal and professional relationships. For some, the only way to resolve the issue is to leave.<\/p>

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Finding ourselves in the role of \u2018Accidental Mediator\u2019<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>

Despite most adults spending much of their li<\/span>ves<\/span> at work and with our colleagues, <\/span>we\u2019re<\/span> generally underprepared<\/span> in <\/span>how to handle conflict in th<\/span>ese settings<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

I remember an incident earlier in my career that really drove this home for me. I was leading <\/span>a team<\/span> of about 30<\/span>, and two of my <\/span>senior staff<\/span> had a disagreement over something that seemed trivial at first<\/span> \u2013<\/span> a misunderstanding about <\/span>the use<\/span> of resources<\/span>. But as time went on, what started as a <\/span>very solvable problem <\/span>turned into <\/span>tenseness <\/span>that everyone in the office could feel. <\/span>E<\/span>ach<\/span> person<\/span> double<\/span>d<\/span>-down<\/span> on their point of view, and their <\/span>colleagues<\/span> f<\/span>ell <\/span>into <\/span>alliances b<\/span>ehind them<\/span>.<\/span> I <\/span>was<\/span> caught in the middle. <\/span>Each <\/span>\u2018<\/span>side<\/span>\u2019<\/span> wanted me to back them. <\/span>Should I step in and help them work it out? Was it even my place<\/span> or someone else\u2019s job<\/span>? What if my involvement made it worse<\/span>, or they turned on me!<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Elisabeth Shaw, CEO<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Eventually, <\/span>I decided<\/span> to bring the two of them together to talk. It <\/span>wasn\u2019t<\/span> perfect, and it was certainly uncomfortable, but just having a conversation helped shift things in a better direction. That experience taught me that while conflict <\/span>isn\u2019t<\/span> pleasant, it is an inevitable part of working life\u2014and that addressing it sooner rather than later makes <\/span>a big difference<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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What informal <\/span>mediation can look like<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>

In many ways, we can all end up being \u2018accidental mediators\u2019 at some point. Even if you\u2019re not a manager or work in HR, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll find yourself in a situation where informal mediation skills might come in handy. It could be:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>