Transform your work dynamic
A human-centred approach to conflict in the workplace
You want to come to work, do your job and not have to think about a conflict with a colleague or your boss, we get it.
You are anxious about communicating with your colleague about their work, because of their previous behaviour. ➡ We’ll help you with communication tools that lessen your anxiety and get you working together again.
You are concerned that the interpersonal conflict among your team members is stopping deliverables from getting reached to clients on time. ➡ We’ll facilitate conversations among your team members to move them forward.
You are concerned that a situation that you have just learned about might become a possible harassment investigation. ➡ We’ll explain the process and help you decide your next steps.
Time consuming
The typical manager spends 25-40% of his or her time dealing with workplace conflicts. That’s one to two days of every work week.
(Washington Business Journal, 2005)
High turnover rate
Ernst & Young reports that the cost of losing and replacing an employee may be as high as 150% of the departing employee’s annual salary.
(Gallup, 2016)
Microaggression
64% women are exposed to microaggressive forms of behaviour with racialized women making up the majority of those people.
(Forbes, 2018)
Mental health
Microaggressions pose significant risk to the quality of life of racialized people and increases risks of anxiety and depression significantly
(PLOS, 2019)
Helping workplaces solve complex situations
Workplace Mediation
We support employees having productive conversations with actionable outcomes to reduce the negative impact of conflict. Through an impartial process we facilitate communications among parties in order to help them better understand each other and their respective issues, move the parties from their positions towards their interests, and have them engage in a collaborative problem-solving process.
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Difficult & Courageous Conversations Training
We offer tailor-made, interactive training sessions on de-escalation, having difficult conversations particularly around microaggressions, and ARAO training with a specific focus on how to talk about privilege and listen to people’s experiences of oppression in ways that bring people together. We design our training to be a catalyst for organizational change and growth so that organizations can derive even greater benefit from their diversity.
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Workplace Investigation
Specializing in accusations of microaggressions and racial & gender bias, we engage in impartial, time-sensitive, and humane investigations into workplace conflict while being mindful of reducing retraumatization. We investigate sexual and racial harassment, workplace discrimination (both individual and systemic), and hostile work environment all with respect to Canada Labour Code, Ontario Health and Safety Act and Ontario Human Rights Code.
Learn more [here][3]
Conflict Management Process/Policy Analysis
An in-depth investigation of the conflict management processes of the workplace, collecting and analyzing data, and offering effective solutions to strengthen those processes and prevent further conflict from taking place.
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Conflict Coaching
These 1:1 coaching sessions provide guidance on the specific conflicts the person is facing. In these sessions the parties learn how to unpack a conflict story and are given specific skills to shift their own behaviour and approach towards their colleagues, as a way to help the other person shift theirs.
Case study: Combatting Microaggression
We conducted workplace mediation between team members who wanted to have brave conversations around their experiences of microaggression at work.
We interviewed these team members and designed a workplace mediation process based on their unique needs. In this process we first offered individual conflict coaching sessions to provide concrete tools of speaking and listening which would help the parties not only to discuss their issues but to be able to do so in a way that would get them to their ultimate goal of having a peaceful workplace where they could once again collaborate together.
After several mediation sessions, the employees began to understand each other’s point of view better and ultimately one party apologized to the other for their behaviour which began a process of rebuilding trust and working collaboratively to address the issues at hand.
The Process
Meet the team
Passionate individuals working with determined workplaces
Sara Shamdani, PhD
Dr. Shamdani is a published author, international speaker, educator, certified mediator and workplace investigator who brings the depth of her knowledge to people wanting to better manage conflict in their workplace. She has over a decade of teaching on topics such as race, gender and the Canadian law. She combines her drive for theory and research with a warm and genuine interest in the people she is working with and is guided by the philosophy of ‘meeting people where they are at’.
Barry Spinner, MSW
Barry has a Masters in Social work and over 15 years of experience in the mental health field. He is an expert in de-escalation, connecting with people from all walks of life, and putting people at ease in difficult and challenging situations. He is a trained mediator and his workplace mediation has resulted in significant agreements between parties. He is a sought-after therapist who creates a safe space of conversation specifically for men.
