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Often a conflict starts unnoticed, slightly below the surface. A sense of irritation exists on both sides. As time passes, that uneasy feeling gradually increases. You used to be able to work well with your colleague, but now he is getting on your nerves. Maddening!
When a conflict intensifies, the communication level usually drops. Conflict escalation and communication therefore do not work as communicating vessels, quite the contrary. When the communication level drops, the risk of conflict escalation increases. That is exactly where things go wrong in practice. The more the working relationship comes under pressure, the less the people involved tend to communicate. People start avoiding one other, seek support with co-workers and try to undermine the other party. All examples of behaviour that causes the working relationship to deteriorate rapidly and the conflict to intensify. Mistrust replaces trust and others get involved in the conflict.
Consequently, mediation does not only aim to resolve the conflict, but also to restore communication between the parties. When parties start to hear and see one other again, an essential step has been taken during the mediation process: a step towards mutual understanding, de-escalation and – ultimately – a solution for the conflict. In most cases, recovery of communication also leads to normalization or restoration of the relationship. For parties, this always creates a great sense of relief. The relationship is future-proof again and the organisation can fully focus on its business goals.
Personally – as mediator – it also gives me a lot of positive energy when the communication and relationship gradually improve during a mediation process. This is one of the reasons why I chose this profession.
Given the aforementioned, I can quite easily answer the question I sometimes get. Why I switched to mediation for the full 100%. This extraordinary profession fully aligns with my intrinsic motivation: my passion to help, connect with others and help people to reconnect with one another (28 juni 2024).