Offer for Organizations
Tensions regularly arise in the workplace. If not addressed promptly and constructively, they can develop into serious conflicts.
Perhaps you are familiar with one of the following situations:
- Incompatible goals – or different ideas about how to achieve them – put a strain on teamwork.
- The consequences of actions/ initiatives are perceived or assessed differently.
- Roles are unclear or contradictory.
- Technical, financial, personnel and spatial resources are contested.
- Lack of acceptance, appreciation, or boundary violations—whether regarding roles or personal space—can lead to emotional harm and withdrawal by individual team members.
When conflicts escalate, there is a point at which it is no longer about the matter at hand (the actual reason for the dispute), but only about personal attacks, coalitions, winning or losing. It is difficult for those involved to find their own way out of such situations. Too much damage has already been done – with high emotional tension, a loss of trust, and personal hurt standing in the way. In such situations, you as a leader or the person affected notice this yourself: Any meeting then tends to have a worsening effect and well-intentioned attempts at a solution tend to have the opposite effect. At this point at the latest, conflict resolution with the help of external support is advisable.
How we work
In an initial meeting with the leader and/or those affected, we clarify the facts and get an initial picture of the situation. Depending on the environment and the level of escalation, a suitable process is then developed in consultation with you.
Typically, we begin by addressing the issue in one-on-one conversations with those affected, followed by one or more team or group discussions. The aim of the latter is to better understand and accept everyone’s needs and concerns and to find joint solutions on this basis. To help process emotions and shift the focus toward a co-created and positive future, we use mediation techniques and solution-focused coaching questions. Concrete agreements are documented at the end and provide security for the next steps.
What is shifting in your organization?
A lot — often in unexpected ways. Our experience shows: the path may be challenging, but the destination is worth it. Time and again, we witness moments when tensions dissolve, seemingly fixed positions soften, and new space opens up for what truly matters: effective collaboration that allows everyone’s potential to unfold.
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