Being a Manager and a Mediator: A Dual Essential Skill

Management & LeadershipConflicts & TensionsManagers≈ 20 min

Key skill: Mediation

Summary

Reconcile two opposing stances in the face of conflict: the manager who decides and aims for results, and the neutral mediator who facilitates dialogue. Prevent tension and borrow mediation's facilitation tools.

Target audience

Managers who need to handle conflict

Learning objectives

Be a manager-mediator by juggling the paradoxes of these two positions.
As a manager: prevent and welcome conflict, discern your own responsibility and room to maneuver, while keeping an eye on your team's objectives.
As a mediator: step back, stay neutral, avoid interfering in the negotiation, and understand the conflict by clearing out any certainties you hold about the people and the situation.
Find a balance between the roles and attitudes of manager and mediator, depending on the situation.

Module outline

ArticlesThe etymology of the word MEDIATOR · The etymology of the word MANAGER · Best practices for the manager-mediator
Expert videoAn exploration of the manager's role in preventing conflict, and how to reconcile the manager and mediator positions
AnchoringA quiz and true/false questions to deepen your understanding and reinforce what you've learned
Memo cardDownloadable memo-coaching card: the key takeaways from the expert video
CommitmentConcrete examples to help you define your own commitment

Models & methods

The distinction between the manager stance and the mediator stance; nonviolent communication; turning decisions into objectives; feedback; facilitation.