When a shared understanding is needed for collective responsibility and problem-solving
A Workplace Conference brings together a group of individuals who have shared in the impact of a negative incident or series of events and want the situation to improve. Usually a Workplace conference is suggested when conflict has spilled over within an organization and is causing more widespread disruption. The Conference is arranged to assist in repairing relationships and restoring team functioning.
U S E S
Useful after a critical incident or event where harm was caused; when factions have developed within departments or there is multi party conflict that is causing widespread and spiraling disruption.
F E AT U R E S
- Often used as an alternative to mediation when high levels of multi-party conflict must be transformed into cooperation before solutions can be found
- Highly structured ensuring a safe space is created to facilitate shared understanding about the issues and the impacts
- Individuals are given an opportunity, in a specific sequence, to talk about what has happened, and about the current situation
- Together, individuals then consider how the situation might be improved, how specific harms might be repaired, what remedies are needed and how the group can move on to a more positive future
- An agreement is signed by both parties, requiring that each take full responsibility for actions decided in resolving their dispute
- The Conference agreement is recorded in writing, signed, and a copy provided to each participant
B E N E F I T S
Workplace Conferences are useful in:
- Transforming conflict into cooperation
- Creating a shared understanding
- Resetting and rebuilding relationships
- Creating trust
- Encouraging shared accountability for problems and solutions
- Drawing a line in the sand about the past, present and future
- Giving teams a sense of hope for the future
- Bringing all parties into the room who have a say, stake or some influence in improving the situation
- Reinforcing the autonomy of the group while restating the need for accountability
- Encouraging creative problem solving and collective ownership of solutions
T E S T I M O N I A L
“I was not looking forward to the conference. I knew I would need to be honest about how the warring factions had affected me and this was very confronting. At the conference I realized I was not alone and that I should not have sat in silence for so long. We all came to the realization that we had different pieces of the story and so a lot of what happened had been misconstrued and misunderstood. The conference was like us all bringing our pieces of the puzzle to build the complete picture. We were able to see why and where things had gone wrong with the team and felt OK about owning our contribution to the mess. Most importantly we all seemed to feel a sense of relief that we could move on.”