Mediating Conflict Between Two Employees
When two employees are in open conflict, the ripple effect can erode trust, productivity, and team morale.
This lesson gives you a step-by-step framework to guide a neutral, structured mediation that restores collaboration and creates clear agreements for moving forward.
Lesson Description
You’ll learn how to facilitate—not referee—by helping both employees feel heard, identify shared goals, and commit to specific behavioral changes.
You’ll Learn How To:
Lead a neutral, structured mediation conversation
Keep discussions factual and forward-focused
Identify common ground and establish clear agreements
Maintain authority and composure without taking sides
Core Steps:
Open with purpose — “Thanks for meeting together. We’re here to find a way forward.”
Set ground rules — “One person speaks at a time.”
Let each share — Allow each person 2–3 minutes to speak; paraphrase back for clarity.
Find common ground — “It sounds like you both want better communication.”
Create agreements — “What will each of you do differently?”
Close professionally — “I’ll send a summary and we’ll check in in two weeks.”
Manager Mindset:
Guide the process, don’t take sides.
Your role is to rebuild trust and structure—not assign blame.
📎 Download: Mediating Conflict Between Two Employees (PDF)
Reminder: Join the Office Hours and Role Play Practice sessions to get support facilitating real-world conflict conversations.
Role-Play Demonstration
🎥 Manager Role-Play Demonstration
Mediating Conflict Between Two Employees
Lesson Description
Conflict conversations test your ability to stay calm, impartial, and structured.
In this demonstration, you’ll see how a manager leads two employees from tension to teamwork through clear facilitation and steady leadership presence.
Watch how the manager:
Opens the conversation with purpose and neutrality
Keeps structure and control while allowing space for both voices
Redirects blame toward problem-solving
Secures specific agreements for accountability
Watch For:
The use of paraphrasing to ensure understanding
How tone and pacing keep emotions in check
The shift from defensiveness to constructive dialogue
Reflect:
“How can I stay neutral when emotions run high—and still move the conversation toward resolution?”
Reminder: Join the Office Hours and Role Play Practice sessions to rehearse mediation flow and follow-up structure.
Say This / Not This —
Mediating Conflict Between Two Employees
🎥 Say This / Not This — Language That Restores Collaboration
Lesson Description
During conflict mediation, the words you choose determine whether the conversation heals or deepens the divide.
Use these phrasing shifts to stay neutral, avoid blame, and lead with authority and empathy.
Say This / Not This Examples:
Not This: “Who started this?”
Say This: “Let’s focus on what’s in your control.”
Why it works: Keeps the focus on ownership instead of blame.
Not This: “Can you two just get along?”
Say This: “What does a healthy working relationship look like?”
Why it works: Encourages reflection instead of defensiveness.
Not This: “I’m done dealing with this.”
Say This: “We’ll revisit this soon.”
Why it works: Demonstrates leadership presence and accountability.
Key Takeaway:
You can’t force agreement, but you can guide it.
Clarity, calm tone, and structured follow-up rebuild trust faster than emotion ever can.
Reminder: Join the Office Hours and Role Play Practice sessions to strengthen your neutrality and language precision in mediation scenarios.