John W. Reiman Ph.D.

Workplace Relationship Solutions (WRS)

The WRS process blends mediation, facilitation, and communication coaching to support a healthy, productive, and respectful workplace. Services include:

• interpersonal conflict resolution through facilitated, structured, safe dialogue ;
• skill-building (listening, problem solving, anger management, assertiveness); and
• maximizing processes for healthy ongoing communication and relationships.

Assumptions include:

• healthy alternative pathways can be developed for 'bottled-up' emotions that find unhealthy expression through gossip, loss of enthusiasm, backstabbing, angry outbursts, misuse of authority, etc.
• resolving relationship conflict can improve productivity, morale, and job satisfaction, and reduce turnovers and lost time
• individuals and groups have wisdom and capacity for problem-solving, and are highly resilient
• ‘listening to understand’ and ‘speaking to be understood’ are keys to effective dialogue/communication
• viewing one another as human, supports an enhanced quality of work life
• detailed communication and relationship agreements can be useful.

The process is broadly organized around the following phases:

• Assessment – degree of conflict, viewpoints, cultural differences, styles of relating to conflict, and time/resource availability are assessed through interviews (1:1/group) with all stakeholders;
• Participant identification/ invitation – individuals/groups who (1) are impacted by the conflict, (2) have a stake in the outcome/resolution, (3) hold direct power/influence in the matter, and/or (4) might be helpful, are collaboratively considered for inclusion (representatives may need to be identified for groups);
• Work plan agreement – includes: (1) clarifying tailored purpose of facilitation and expectations/roles of contractor and client; (2) developing joint vision of success, and its likelihood; (3) defining work scope, timeframes, deliverables; (4) detailing fees and payment terms; (5) identifying issues that are ‘on’ and ‘off the table’; (6) process guidelines/ground rules; and (7) location and physical space specification.
• Convene Process* – phases: (1) introductions, challenge to participants, review of work plan; (2) development of understanding and acknowledgement of experiences, views, perceptions; (3) definition of problem and context; (4) task definition; (5) task fulfillment (option generation, criteria development, proposal formulation); (6) decision-making and (7) drafting of agreements and implementation plans;
• Close/report-out; and
• Follow-up – establish timeframe and activities

* communication coaching and skill building included

References available upon request