FAQs
What is workplace mediation?
Workplace mediation is an effective, as well as time- and cost-efficient, process for resolving conflict in the workplace or other professional settings. That conflict can be between two employees, between a manager and a staff member, between an Executive Director and a Board Chair, between two departments, etc.. During this voluntary, confidential process, an impartial mediator helps the parties to reach a mutually acceptable solution.
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There are accusations of bullying in my workplace. Is investigation or mediation more appropriate?
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It’s not an either/or question; sometimes it’s most appropriate to choose both. Investigation and mediation serve different purposes.
The goal of an investigation is to provide an employer with crucial information about the truth of a complaint. And often, when an accusation of bullying or harassment is made, an employer is legally obligated to conduct an investigation under legislation, policy, or a collective agreement. Investigations provide information, but on their own, they don’t solve workplace culture problems.
The goal of mediation, on the other hand, is to address workplace culture challenges. During mediation, the parties discuss the conflict directly and openly. They are empowered to make choices about how they would like to see the conflict resolved. Unlike investigation, mediation is voluntary, so no one person can be compelled to participate in the mediation process.
Why should I hire an external consultant instead of using our internal Human Resources professional?
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Sometimes, an organization hires an external consultant because their Human Resources staff lack the qualifications or the time to conduct these processes.
However, in most cases, organizations hire an external consultant because they recognize the need for a neutral third-party.
Particularly in high stakes or high conflict situations—especially ones that involve complaints against the management team—even the most skilled and ethical in-house HR professional isn’t perceived by the participants to be neutral. That lack of perceived neutrality is enough to sabotage even the best mediation, investigation, or restoration efforts.
In a workplace mediation or workplace restoration processes, in order to empower participants, the mediator needs to be neutral and personally detached from the resolution. Parties also need to trust that everything they say in mediation is truly confidential from management. Likewise, in a workplace investigation, the investigator needs to be unbiased and neutral in order to fulfill the requirements of procedural fairness.
What is involved in a workplace culture review?
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A culture review is an evaluation of an organization’s environment, team behaviour, procedures, and practices in order to identify areas for improvement or the root causes of any conflicts or ongoing issues. A culture review can be conducted proactively as part of an organization’s commitment to organizational development or in response to an identified issue such as high staff turnover.
The scope of a culture review can vary depending on the needs and budget of the organization. The review might aim to assess the whole workplace culture broadly or focus on a specific issue of concern in one department. The review typically includes individual interviews, a staff survey, workplace policy review, and a review of relevant Human Resources documentation.
What is workplace restoration?
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Workplace restoration is a structured process for establishing trust, respect, and harmonious working relationships following a disruptive event such as harassment complaints, investigations, or destructive dynamics. The restoration process at minimum will involve consultations with leadership and staff, an assessment of the organization’s psychological health and safety, the creation of a restoration plan, and a clear process for monitoring and assessing the implementation and outcome of the restoration strategy.
Depending on your organization’s unique situation, the restoration process might involve: education and/ or training, mediation, facilitated discussion, coaching, operational changes such as policy or procedural changes, or other interventions as appropriate.
Why choose Blackbird Resolutions?
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We have substantial expertise and experience in mediation, investigation, and policy development. Rather than offer a stand-alone or one-size-fits-all process, we design customized solutions with the entire organizational culture in mind. Unlike many conflict resolution professionals, we have extensive experience navigating collective agreements and complex or multi-union workplaces.
Why the name “Blackbird”?
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The name is a nod to Adrienne Rich’s poem, “In Those Years.” In that poem, the Rich describes how “great dark birds of history” force us to realize that we cannot view our problems as individual or personal.
At Blackbird, we recognize that post-pandemic workplaces are often under stress for a variety of reasons that extend beyond the individual. Workplace conflicts have social effects and often have systemic causes.