Top 4 Mediator Skills for HR Professionals
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It is inevitable that HR professionals at one point in time will have to deal with workplace conflict. An easy way to combat that conflict is to mediate disputes with the parties involved in a neutral manner. Turns out, HR professionals can really learn a few things from mediators; skills that can even make them become better professionals.

1. Negotiation skills

HR professionals can negotiate everything from contracts to employee disputes; mediation training is a good way to hone negotiation skills. For example, a key negotiation principle is to negotiate based on interests (what is valued or needed) instead of positions (what is demanded).

Uncovering what drives a person’s position is a large portion of a mediation session and skilled mediators have the tools to move people from positional bargaining to interest based bargaining; creating solutions that meet everyone’s needs and last for the long term.

2. Understanding individual differences and perceptions

Mediators are very skilled at understanding conflicting perspectives while remaining a neutral third party. HR professionals can learn from this skill because many workplace conflicts involve misunderstandings and employees having a different perspective on the same situation. By acknowledging and appreciating every perception in the situation, people are able to move past attacking each other and start attacking the problem.

3. Communication skills

HR professionals know they need to communicate and listen effectively while also taking note of certain nonverbal cues. The art of active listening, understanding nonverbal communication, and asking effective questions that clarify issues is a primary mediation skill that can enhance any HR professional’s effectiveness. Learning how to ask the right questions can really help understand the situation and get to the root of the conflict. One mediator skill that is especially helpful to HR professionals is the reframing skill. Reframing is the art of restating what the speaker has said while focusing on what they want and need instead of focusing on the non-productive aspects of the statement. Reframing can deescalate stressful situations and shift the conversation toward a more productive path.

4. Conflict resolution skills

HR professionals often find themselves stuck between “a rock and a hard place” when it comes to conflict in the workplace. One of the best mediation skills a HR professional can learn is how to effectively identify the various conflict management styles individuals use while dealing with disputes. When conflict management styles are identified, then mediators and HR professionals are able to use a variety of mediator skills to help people communicate and problem solve in more collaborative ways. Resulting in conversations that build not damage relationships and solutions that meet needs not just make problems go away.

As you can see, HR professionals can really benefit from mediation training. If these four mediator skills are not already in your HR tool kit, mediation training can enhance your professional skill set. The Mediation Training at Oakland Mediation Center (OMC) has been approved by SHRM for Professional Development Credits.