Mediation & Conflict Resolution Services

Conflict resolution is a suite of interventions, including conflict counselling, facilitation, mediation, and coaching. Conflict is complex and not all conflict requires the same intervention, therefore our conflict resolution services offer a tailored solution to suit individual and organisational needs. 

To help resolve conflicts we provide a one-on-one service focused on empowering the participant to explore alternative ways of viewing the dispute.

People in dispute sometimes have difficulty seeing the conflict outside of their perspective and can fall into a cycle of conflict by looking at and interpreting behaviours in ways that reaffirm their perspective. These beliefs are often inaccurate and unhelpful to resolution.

By exploring different perspectives, participants can see options they may not have previously explored, and ways to manage the conflict, their reactions, and potentially future interactions more productively.

Altius Group Conflict Resolution Services:

• Are delivered by our conflict coaches, who are psychologists or allied health professionals who are also trained or experienced mediators.
• Assist organisations in resolving conflicts before they escalate into expensive problems.

Talking about a problem is the first step in resolution. Facilitated discussion is a short-term intervention used to identify areas of misunderstanding and prevent disputes from occurring. It is useful when there is tension between individuals around different viewpoints or misunderstandings and communication breakdowns. It is generally used for simple or short-term disputes, including issues related to processes, suitable duties, or a return to work plan. 

An experienced mediator runs our facilitated discussions. It usually involves individual preliminary meetings with both parties to identify issues, an agreement to attend the discussion and develop an agenda. The facilitated discussion then occurs as a flexible conversation. Both parties get the opportunity to discuss options and sign an agreement, giving them a solution to move forward. Finally, the mediator can provide a report on the outcomes of the facilitation session considering a degree of confidentiality for participants to feel comfortable around what is shared.

Having an Altius Group conflict specialist facilitate discussions:

• Can support communication between the employee and employer in the case of injured employees to help achieve a healthy and safe return to work. 
• Can provide a safe and neutral forum for employees who may be experiencing difficulties with each other to achieve greater understanding and identify ways to facilitate better working relationships.
• Provides an objective third party who can help keep discussions constructive and positive to ensure the environment is safe and supportive.
• Ensures everyone is heard and a positive outcome is achieved.

Mediation is used to resolve ongoing disputes between parties. These tend to be entrenched and long-term disputes. Mediation is suitable after other avenues to address the issue, such as escalating to a line manager or HR, have not been successful. As well as managing colleague disputes, mediation is used in workers' compensation and return-to-work cases. 

Our Organisational Consultants, made up of Psychologists and Allied Health team run the mediation sessions. Unlike facilitated discussions that use a more flexible approach, mediation follows a very structured process. Firstly, each party has a pre-mediation session to identify issues and barriers, challenge beliefs, and confirm agreement to the mediation session. The mediation session then takes 4-6 hours and will involve both individual and joint sessions. During this time, our mediators will explore issues to shift mindset, understand issues from both perspectives and explore options for agreement. The outcome is a documented agreement that can be shared with insurers.

Altius Group’s trained and skilled mediators:

• Empower individuals to have their grievances heard and guide them in resolving the problem. Conflict is best resolved when the people involved understand the issues, feel that their needs have been heard and are provided options to move forward. 
• Allow conflicts to be resolved in a safe and controlled environment, with a professional to guide the process.
• Our mediators are experienced in dealing with all forms of workplace conflict and disputes and facilitating a positive outcome for all involved.
• Have experience mediating disputes arising from misunderstandings through to a conflict between employees’ ways of working, personalities, culture, religious beliefs, and political views.