If conflicts bog down processes…

Mission

Conflict mediation

Client

Plant engineers
4,000 employees worldwide

Target group

2 executives in Germany, connected as interface partners

Question/Issue

  • How can we restore the major process disturbances between the interfaces – along with personal feuds between the process partners – to a cooperative, appropriate and target-oriented communication after years of feud?

Activities

  • Mission clarification with the superior executives
  • Several preparatory meetings with the “protagonists”
  • Meeting with both protagonists and the mediator
  • Final meeting: both cooperation partners, their managers and the mediator

Factors for success

Diligent patient preparation in individual discussions in order to

  • Eliminate accusations, allegations, insinuations, etc.
  • Consistent focus on requests for future communication and cooperation

Diligent, patient and persevering negotiation of agreements

Duration of the project

6 months

Particular aspects during the course of the project

Organisational changes in the area of both partners have contributed to good cooperation in the future by reducing the interfacing areas.

Result

  • Process safety: the partners are still not best friends, but cooperate again in the customers’ best interests.
  • Astonishment of the superior executives about the unanimously positive result in spite of the long-standing stalemate situation.