It’s said that employees who have a high rate of job satisfaction enjoy the people they work with. This probably has a lot to do with the communication style in the workplace. One way to improve how employees feel about work is to take a look at the process for when problems arise. Is the workplace environment one that fosters competition and conflict or is it truly a team based environment? This often depends on managerial styles and approaches to solving problems. If you know your boss is going to yell and scream when there is conflict, then that can be stressful and can cause anxiety and tension around conflict. If your boss takes a calmer and more rational approach to solving problems then its more likely to be a positive work environment that you will feel better about.
One approach that can help (before problems even arise) is mediation training. Mediation training in the workplace can be beneficial for all employees. Workplace mediation training can be composed of workshops or week-long training courses. These types of mediation training programs will teach the various skills and techniques of mediation within the workplace. These programs help enable employees to learn a process for assisting disputing parties reach compromise. The goal is to find solutions that are mutually agreeable to both parties. The process should be structured and reasonable. This type of mediation training for the workplace can help develop communication skills, improve interactions, and teach overall conflict resolution skills. The skills learned in mediation training are not only applicable in the workplace, but they are useful for interpersonal relations in general.
Human resource professionals are usually the ones who mediate workplace conflict. Because of this, HR employees are frequently seeking mediation training to improve their conflict resolution and communication skills. In some cases with workplace disputes, some employees still prefer to bring in a third party. Oftentimes workplace disputes can sometimes end in costly litigation. By making workplace conflict resolution training a priority, it can reduce unnecessary legal fees and improve the overall rate of satisfaction in the workplace.
