TNZ mediators are Chartered Mediators and Chartered Arbitrators with thousands of hours of experience in workplace, community, and organizational contexts. Our approach is interest-based: meaning we work to surface underlying needs, not just split the difference.
Workplace conflict resolution through mediation resolves most disputes in one to two sessions. Outcomes are created by the parties themselves, which means they are more durable and more likely to be honoured than decisions imposed from outside.
We also provide mediation training for managers and HR leaders who want to resolve disputes earlier and more informally. For situations where mediation alone is insufficient, or where a binding decision is required, we offer formal arbitration and med-arb, where the mediator may become the arbitrator if the parties cannot reach agreement.
What's included
What we do
- Two-party and multi-party workplace mediation
- Formal arbitration and binding med-arb
- Group facilitation and team conflict resolution
- Restorative processes in education and community settings
- Post-investigation restoration and relationship repair
- Conflict coaching and pre-mediation coaching for parties who need preparation support
How it works
Our process
1
Intake and convening
We speak with each party separately to understand their perspective, assess readiness, and explain the process. This stage often begins the de-escalation.
2
Individual pre-mediation
Each party clarifies their interests, concerns, and goals, separately and confidentially. This preparation dramatically improves the quality of the joint session.
3
Joint mediation session
Parties meet in a structured, facilitated environment. The mediator helps surface underlying interests, identify common ground, and generate options neither party considered alone.
4
Agreement and follow-up
Agreements are documented and signed. We offer brief follow-up to check implementation and address any emerging issues before they re-escalate.
Why it matters
The benefits
Speed and cost
Mediation typically resolves in one to two sessions. Compare this to months or years of grievance, tribunal, or litigation proceedings.
Confidentiality
Mediation is entirely confidential. Nothing said in mediation is admissible in subsequent proceedings without both parties' consent.
Party-owned outcomes
Parties create their own agreements. This produces more creative solutions and dramatically higher rates of compliance than imposed decisions.
Relationship preservation
Mediation explicitly addresses the relationship between parties, not just the presenting dispute. People often continue working together successfully after TNZ mediation.
In practice
Anonymous case studies
All identifying details have been changed or removed. These examples illustrate the kinds of situations we work with and the outcomes our interventions achieve.
Municipal Government
Situation
Two long-tenured employees in the same department had reached a point of open hostility following a conflict over a shared project. Their manager had documented three formal complaints in six months. HR concluded that formal investigation would likely destroy any remaining working relationship.
Intervention
TNZ conducted individual pre-mediation sessions with each party, then facilitated a four-hour joint mediation. The mediator helped each party articulate what they actually needed, which turned out to be recognition and a clearer division of responsibilities, rather than what they said they wanted, which was for the other person to be disciplined.
Outcome
The parties reached a written agreement covering their working relationship, communication protocols, and a clear escalation path. Both remained in the same department. A six-month follow-up session was built into the agreement. HR reported zero further formal complaints in the following year.
Healthcare, Multi-Party
Situation
A team of eleven clinical staff in a hospital unit had fractured into competing factions following a contentious scheduling change. Individual complaints had been filed by four employees against two others. The unit manager was named in two of the complaints.
Intervention
TNZ recommended against investigation given the systemic nature of the conflict. Instead, a structured restorative process was designed: individual sessions with all eleven staff members, followed by facilitated small-group sessions, culminating in a full team session using a conflict resolution framework the team helped design.
Outcome
The process took six weeks. All four formal complaints were withdrawn. A team charter was developed collaboratively. Staff turnover in the unit dropped from four departures in the prior year to zero in the following twelve months. The unit manager participated in four coaching sessions as part of the process.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between mediation and arbitration?
In mediation, the mediator helps parties reach their own agreement; they have no power to impose a decision. In arbitration, the arbitrator hears evidence and makes a binding decision. Med-arb combines both: the process starts as mediation and the mediator becomes the arbitrator if no agreement is reached.
Does both parties have to agree to mediation?
Mediation is voluntary. Both parties must consent to participate. However, some collective agreements and employment contracts include mediation clauses that require good-faith participation before formal proceedings.
Can we use mediation even if a formal complaint has been filed?
Yes, and often mediating before a formal investigation is the most cost-effective and least harmful path. We can advise on whether early resolution is appropriate given the specific circumstances.
What if mediation doesn't resolve the issue?
If mediation does not produce agreement, the parties retain all their rights to pursue other processes. Nothing said in mediation can be used in subsequent proceedings. We can also convert the process to arbitration or med-arb if the parties agree.
Ready to talk?
We offer a complimentary initial consultation to understand your situation and recommend the right approach. No obligation.
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