Case Studies - Mediation
The mediation began with Ruth talking about the importance of her job to the agency and to her family. She was fearful that she would be terminated from employment if the letter of reprimand remained in her personal file. Ruth was the sole support for her family and the possibility of losing her job was causing her great concern and was causing her great stressed. She talked about how she took pride in her ability to support Oliver despite what she felt to be his unprofessional style of managing the office. She was issued the letter of reprimand following an incident when she stormed out of Oliver’s office and proceeded to go home after a heated argument over the completion of an assignment. She stated that Oliver would use inappropriate language when he was mad and she no longer could accept his unprofessional behavior.
Oliver voiced his frustration with supervising Ruth. He struggled to find the best way to supervise Ruth because he perceived her to be moody and defensive. Some days she would be fine, but other days she would "fly off the handle" and challenge his authority.
Oliver felt that their working relationship had deteriorated to a breaking point. He issued the letter of reprimand when Ruth walked off the job without permission. Oliver stated that the letter of reprimand was issued because of her attitude and was not related to her work performance. Oliver also disclosed his frustration in his role as a Chief Executive, he was trained as a lawyer and he never anticipated the position would carry so much stress, especially dealing with employees. He told Ruth that he appreciated and admired her attention to detail.
When Ruth and Oliver listened to each, they were able to transform the conflict into constructive change. Oliver told Ruth that he would rescind the letter of reprimand after six months if her work attitude improved. Ruth accepted the offer. She asked Oliver if he would approve her taking a class in conflict resolution. She hoped that taking the class would provide some skills that would help her deal with tense situations in a more constructive manner. Oliver agreed to grant her leave and tuition to take the class.
Ruth and Oliver were pleased that they could open a dialogue and communicate with each other. By listening without the emotions of anger, they created a win-win solution. They felt empowered by the mediation process because it created a safe place for them to voice their concerns and come to a mutually agreed upon solution.
