Most organisations reach for an internal HR process first when two people can't work together - and sometimes that's the right call. But HR processes are built to manage risk and follow procedure, and that isn't always the same thing as resolving the actual problem. Sometimes it just contains it.
What mediation does differently
Workplace mediation brings in someone genuinely independent - not part of the organisation, not reporting up the chain, not there to take a side or deliver a verdict. My job is to help people actually talk through what's going on, find the common ground that's usually there somewhere, and agree on how they'll work together from here.
That independence matters. People will often say things to a neutral outsider that they'd never put in an email to HR, precisely because it isn't going on a file.
When it tends to work better
In my experience, mediation is the better path when:
- The working relationship is worth preserving and you'd rather not lose good people
- The conflict is more about how two people relate than a clear policy breach
- An HR process has stalled, or resolved the paperwork without resolving the tension
- People need to be heard before they'll move forward
What I bring to it
I spent two decades in a high-stakes legal environment learning to read people and adapt to whoever's in front of me. Some people need space and reassurance; others want to get straight to the point. I adjust. I don't rush people and I don't impose outcomes - but I'm not passive either. I keep the conversation productive and make sure both people are genuinely heard.
If your organisation is dealing with a conflict that internal processes haven't shifted, it may be worth a conversation.