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Conflict drives the plots of best-selling novels and popular films. Under the right circumstances, it can also fuel opportunity, innovation and improvement in your work environment. Yet, without a satisfactory solution, unresolved conflict would give readers or moviegoers a feeling of emptiness, leaving them unfulfilled. In the workplace, unresolved differences can be even more detrimental, creating personal and professional problems that can affect all aspects of business. To head off such disruptive workplace conflicts, the Alternative Dispute Resolution and Conflict Prevention Center offers an unbiased, neutral resource for all employees. The office guarantees confidentiality. "We're a place to go when you don't know where else to go." The ADR office has handled many disputes involving discrimination, performance, pay, personality conflicts, and disagreement over policies, practices or rules. The program is intended to provide a pathway to resolve conflict. Almost every interaction in the workplace has the potential for conflict, so it's an inevitable – and often constructive - part of working relationships. Conflict is not inherently bad, but unresolved conflict can be detrimental and often causes productivity and morale to suffer. Surfacing and dealing with conflict is the personal responsibility of all employees. CDC and ATSDR believe that people are a valuable asset and that they should be given the right tools so they can perform to the best of their abilities. ADR is one of those tools. The key to a successful ADR program is how much freedom the employee has to make choices in the process. Employees are not bound by the outcome of any of the approaches used by the ADR process unless they fully agree with that proposed resolution. The ADR staff is neutral. We don't take sides; we're not judges and juries. We do help generate options and discuss possible outcomes for each one, but the employee must choose the course of action. That decision includes the option of taking no action. Some people feel they're not ready to act and prefer to simply discuss their options. Facts are important to resolution of any conflict. However, you must also take into consideration the person's interests and needs. Otherwise, you often cannot resolve the conflict. Those needs and interests are often tied to emotions. For example, say you bought a car that turns out to be a lemon. After several trips to the dealer the car still isn't fixed and the dealer is becoming less and less responsive to your problem. The facts are that the car has a defect and the dealer didn't fix it. Now you're angry. So, in addition to fixing the car, you want the dealer to apologize for the amount of time and effort you've expended in trying to resolve this problem. That apology represents an interest that you feel must be addressed in any solution to the problem. Repairing the car now isn't enough. To bring the matter to a successful conclusion you now require an apology as well. That apology is an interest that becomes integral to resolving the conflict. Once the ADR staff helps an employee determine those needs, they will work with him or her to find the best way to resolve the situation. The ADR staff can help identify and review choices, listen or consult if the person desires to handle the problem, get answers to questions, help gather and identify relevant facts, act as a confidential go-between, or mediate disputes. Each situation is dealt with individually and with complete confidentiality. Early Intervention encourages the parties to talk with one another. If the person is comfortable with this approach, we encourage him or her to try to work out the problem with the other person. We can help in a number of ways. We can provide information about how to approach the other party in a constructive way. We can help them gather information or request assistance from other sources such as Human Resources, EEO or EAP. We can also open the door for confidential communication with upper management. The role we play depends on the employee's concerns. Why use the ADR process? Disagreement, misunderstanding and conflict are natural parts of any relationship. Whether in society, in our homes, or in the workplace, we each bring our own ideas and experiences to the table. Conflict will occur. That's okay when it leads to constructive dialogue and ultimate resolution. It's not okay when it's left unresolved. Unresolved conflict in the workplace, as in any setting, hurts everyone who is involved and often touches those on the sidelines as well. Left unchecked, conflict rarely goes away on its own. It can disrupt our relationships, prevent us from effectively performing our jobs and lead to costly, time-consuming litigation. With this in mind, the ADR Office has examined how we address workplace disputes and whether those methods could be improved. Generally, most employees tend to avoid conflict. What's more, the methods for identifying conflict and facilitating resolution are not always effective. We also know that in many cases employees do not realize that they may use the ADR process to address a concern. The ADR Office is not intended to take the place of the supervisor, the Union, EEO or EAP. However, we know that there are times when employees for whatever reason do not feel comfortable with the traditional methods of addressing an issue. The ADR Office is available for those situations. The goal of the ADR Office is to transform conflict avoidance to conflict awareness and create an environment that allows us to approach disagreements as opportunities to learn, gather information and ideas and find solutions. Further, dealing with conflict in an open, constructive way can strengthen understanding and commitment to the larger purpose of the organization and free us to focus on our work. Mediation may be for you. It's informal. There is no attempt at cross-examination, only an attempt to understand the issues. Mediation is a process in which a neutral third party – the mediator – facilitates or helps settlement discussions among the parties. Each party should understand that the mediator is not a decision maker. The mediator does not have the power to force a decision on either party; it is the parties who make the decision on whether to settle a matter. The mediator attempts to focus the attention of the parties upon their needs and interests rather than on their rights and positions. Mediation is voluntary and both, or all, parties must want to use it to resolve the dispute. By using mediation, neither party gives up any rights they had before the mediation. Any settlement is entirely voluntary and must be mutually acceptable to the parties. You may choose to have a representative present. The mediator may be from the ADR Office or from the Federal Executive Board's Shared Neutrals Project, which consists of a cadre of 20 trained mediators from the various Federal agencies in the Atlanta area. The mediator uses a series of joint and private meetings to help the parties resolve their differences. Through it all, you are an active participant. There can be no agreement unless both parties say so. The parties are in complete control of the outcome. If you do reach agreement, and this often happens, the mediator will help both parties draft a written agreement. When both parties are satisfied with the terms of the resolution, they both sign the agreement. The agreement is then enforceable as a contract. If no agreement is reached, you may elect to return to the grievance or EEO complaint process. Training. Some of the training we can provide:
Benefits. ADR processes are becoming an increasingly popular way of resolving workplace disputes. Government agencies have been mandated to establish ADR services and availability for employees; private sector employers, schools, communities and the courts are all advocates for the use of ADR for resolution of disputes. It's flexible. The ADR process provides a variety of ways to achieve resolution – from private and informal discussions to other internal processes or mediation. Within the program guidelines, you can control your own resolution process by choosing the resolution method that fits your situation and comfort level. It's confidential. The program offers you highly confidential assistance. No one will know about your situation except those you decide need to know. It's fast. ADR is swift and timely – unlike the traditional methods of addressing concerns. It's fair. The ADR staff functions as an internal, neutral entity, trained in conflict resolution. Further, we can arrange for a neutral mediator for mediation of employment-related conflict. It's inexpensive. There are no expenses involved in using the ADR process and it is available to all employees. It preserves relationships. The ADR process provides a forum for addressing and resolving conflicts with a goal of maintaining good working relations among parties to the conflict. It protects your rights. You have nothing to lose. Your rights to pursue an unresolved matter through the grievance process or with the EEO Office remain in tact. This program's goal is to create a system where you will be able to resolve employment-related conflict without the cost and impact on relationships brought about by the more traditional methods for addressing problems. It forbids retaliation. All parties are free to use the program without fear of retaliation. How Can I Get Further Information? Call (404) 371-5470 to obtain more information or to speak confidentially with a staff member.
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November 19, 2002 Centers
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