breakdown in business relationships over several years. The impact is magnified when the conflict has developed with former friends. Mediation offers participants the opportunity to mend fractured relationships and redesign them for themselves, working cooperatively towards a sustainable, positive future. It is genuinely win-win for the participants and their colleagues, organisations, friends and families. This contrasts with other options for resolving workplace conflict, such as discipline, grievance, sickness, resignations and tribunals. These are win-lose or lose-lose. Do you have any advice for less experienced mediators who aspire to similar success? Humbly, I would say: prepare, prepare, prepare. You only get one chance to create a first impression. Remember that your participants may be traumatised and have had negative experiences of other forms of ‘mediation’. Create a safe space for them to develop trust and confidence in you and the process. Above all, listen with all your senses to what is being said and react to that, not thinking of carefully crafted ‘killer ‘questions to ask. What does this award mean to you? It is humbling and invigorating at the same time. To be recognised by fellow professionals is the pinnacle of regard for me. It is an absolute honour that I will always cherish. Thank you. What does the future hold for yourself and your practice? Firstly I have written ‘The Maverick Mediator’ ( New Generation Publishing ). It will be published in March 2023.. My aim is to de -mystify workplace mediation from my perspective. The strongest reason for writing the book is for those people who mistakenly consider mediation to be a ‘soft option’. I trust they will realise this is a misconception. Secondly, I am collaborating on a project to deliver effective conflict resolution development training for managers. Our intention is to help equip managers with the confidence to manage those they are responsible for as people. Managers need to be able to manage people, not human resources. “Managers need to be able to manage people, not human resources.” • Private & Public Sector Organisations • SMEs • Leadership • Conflict Resolution • Workplace Mediation, Specialising in Conflicted Senior Teams Areas of Expertise Contact Anthony Munday Director Achieve Success UK Tel: +44 79058 68058 Email: tony@achievesuccess.org.uk LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3RoIG5p www.maverickmediator.co.uk “At work we perform a role. It does not define the person. No one comes to work to have a bad day.” 94 UNITED KINGDOM Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards 2022
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