Pragmatism (UK) Ltd

Another well respected household brand starting their journey towards issue resolution with the help of Charlotte Ngoga McCourt. Enjoy the training Beko Europe - it’s tiring but you’ll also have great fun too! #mediation #hr #mediatortraining #leadership

Preventing conflict in the first place by enabling leaders to have the right conversations is where employee relations cultures really start to flourish. Brilliant - well done MIDFIX and Charlotte Ngoga McCourt!!! #leadership #hr #conversations

It really is amazing that you're changing so many lives Nickie Verheijen - thank you!!! #workplacemediation #hr #leadership

Building good, strong foundations of any working relationship is just like a house - if you build it on sand don't be surprised if future rain storms make it crumble very quickly! #hr #mediation #relationships

I haven't posted anything for a good while....... to be honest, I couldn't be bothered, true story! I've hit a couple of milestones since I last shared a post.... I celebrated 50 years of life in August with my family and friends in Anglesey, it was the best birthday I have ever experienced and one to celebrate life and happiness. That milestone was poignant for me on a personal level. I also carried out my 100th workplace mediation. A job I am blessed to do and get so much satisfaction from, I'm now on my 107th mediation in just over 24 months with another 7 booked in September. I'm proud to work with Pragmatism (UK) Ltd and Pete Colby as professional colleagues but also someone I trust and class as a good friend. I'm working with an amazing business partner Andrea Farrell, MA FCIPD within our business Authentic People - People Services for SME’s. If I could have manifested a business partner and close friend, she is it. Our client base gives us the opportunity to work with really interesting clients who genuinely care about their people and operating as employers of choice to attract, engage and retain the very best talent in their businesses. Our client base has been built on recommendation and word of mouth, the best marketing there is....and it's free! Do you like that Pete Colby 😃 Have a great weekend everyone, I'll post again, next time I feel like it 🤐 🤣 #hr #workplacemediation #liverpoolcityregion #wirralbusiness #humanresources #conflictresolution

I'm often asked what our mediation training at Pragmatism (UK) Ltd consists of so I thought that I would share some insight.... The training delivery is broken down into three sections, named spotlight sessions. SPOTLIGHT ONE The first spotlight teaches delegates what mediation is, the process followed in workplace mediation, why good quality mediation is an essential tool to manage employment disputes and how it’s application can support wider organisational culture change and growth. This spotlight session looks at the impact of conflict on those embroiled in it, and how the use of mediation can help parties to find a solution in a proactive and positive way. Delegates consider the negative impact that traditional HR process such as grievance and disciplinary has on the health and wellbeing of all those involved in the process and how mediation support could avoid this. SPOTLIGHT TWO The second spotlight session guides delegates on what makes a good mediator. Delegates consider the key skills required to mediate effectively. This learning is contextualised by sharing my own mediation experience, through role play and interactive group activities. SPOTLIGHT THREE The third spotlight session focusses on ‘when the going gets tough’. Delegates explore the importance of the mediator supporting parties to resolution and delegates learn strategies to develop their resilience and focus to overcome impasse and support parties to the solution that’s right for them. Interested? Please get in touch with us at pragmatism-uk.co.uk or contact Pete Colby or I directly for more info!

It was really great to meet up with Doug Patterson MA recently for a hearty breakfast in a lovely venue. Working effectively with Trade Unions has always been such a key element for me over the last 35 years or so. I see it very simply - working well with Trade Unions means you're working well with employees. When Doug was a Regional Officer with Unite the Union and I was a senior manager at Rolls-Royce it was just the same as every other manager / union situation - we had our own perspectives and they would always bring challenges - but what was always critical was the relationships we built. I'm always telling people in mediations it isn't about agreeing with each other on everything, what's important is understanding and respecting different perspectives. For me the biggest word in the dictionary is TRUST, which is something that builds over time. This is why building key relationships in work is so important, and having the ability to listen and see other perspectives is so key. I always remember conducting a very difficult pay negotiation with Doug - I honestly believe that it was the trusting working relationship we had which got us to one of the best and most innovative two year pay deals the company had seen. It secured a long term future for many during very difficult times. It's been brilliant to see Doug come through as a qualified workplace mediator, and I'm sure his experience and brilliant approach will help many more employees and organisations work out the best solutions for them. Great to see you Doug and what a great breakfast it was! #unite #rollsroyce #mediation

What a beautiful morning in the big city. My work at Pragmatism (UK) Ltd takes me all over the country but London is always my favourite place to be especially when the sun is shining.

I hear this almost every day "we tried mediation and it didn't work". I guess I'm the same as any professional who sees what they do depicted on Eastenders or Coronation Street - we want to shout at the screen "that's not how it works"! It's the same for me when I see posts or talk to clients. What they usually mean is somebody in the organisation (usually the poor HR person) has been asked to get a couple of people together to get them to sort their issues out. It's great that people do this, and sometimes it will help - sometimes it will make things worse. Either way it isn't mediation if the person isn't actually a mediator! If you have a workplace dispute, grievance, etc then mediation is by far the best way to resolve the issue - but it will only be mediation if it's conducted by somebody who is professionally trained - and no, it doesn't have to be by an external mediator like me - mediation doesn't have to cost a penny. The organisations we work with to develop internal mediators see huge cultural shifts, as they avoid grievances and where required they utilise their internal mediators who have been professionally trained. Even better, those internal mediators become less required because they develop managers to have what were previously branded as 'difficult' conversations. These managers nip employee issues in the bud, so they don't need HR help, they don't need mediation and grievances become as rare as hens teeth! At Pragmatism (UK) Ltd we're on a mission to eliminate unnecessary formal grievances and (most importantly) avoid the immense stress everybody goes through. Life really is too short! We will only get there if we recognise that actual mediation is a real skillset and without those skills we will not make the cultural changes required. I think the change of government will bring the need for these skills to the forefront - it's all about effective leadership! #mediatortraining #hr #leadership

Boundaries what are they? They are our guidelines, rules or limits that we create to identify what we consider to be reasonable, psychologically safe and permissible ways for other people to behave around us and how we respond when someone steps outside those limits. In the majority of workplace mediations I have carried out, I see a common theme of boundaries and also leadership…. however, that’s a future post! If I reflect back on my own employment experiences, I too didn’t recognise the importance of my own personal boundaries and so I had no hope of reinforcing them when I became unhappy with the behaviour of others in the workplace. On reflection, I have had to accept my part in what eventually saw me burn out and leave employment (Its a positive as I’ve never looked back 😊) What do we see as Pragmatism (UK) Ltd mediators? 👀 Blurring or disrespect of boundaries 👀 Inappropriate behaviour: too informal or personal, which can be perceived as unprofessional or disrespectful. 👀 Role Confusion: being unclear about responsibilities and authority, leading to power struggles and confusion about who is accountable for what 👀 Invasion of personal space and time: 👀 Overworking: feeling pressured to be available at all times, leading to burnout and resentment. 👀 Micromanagement: intruding on autonomy and causing frustration and resentment. 👀 Unclear communication: 👀 Over-communication: too much communication, especially outside of work hours, can overwhelm and lead to stress and conflict. 👀 Disrespect for personal space/time: without boundaries, too much pressure can lead to emotional exhaustion, increasing the likelihood of conflicts arising from irritability and stress. 👀 Burnout: prlonged stress due to lack of boundaries can lead to burnout, which often manifests as decreased productivity, cynicism, and interpersonal conflicts. 👀 Inconsistent expectations 👀 Role overlap in job roles and responsibilities, leading to conflicts over who should be doing what. 👀 Unfair workload distribution: ambiguity can result in taking on more work than others, leading to feelings of unfairness and resentment. 👀 Favoritism: managers might form closer relationships with certain colleagues, leading to perceived or real favoritism, 👀 Harassment: leading to inappropriate behaviour or creating a toxic work environment and severe conflicts. 💡 What can you do? Set clear policies and expectations (consider a resolution policy as an alternative to a standard 'grievance policy') Encourage open communication Model boundaries at leadership level Provide appropriate training and support across the organisation Regular check-ins Empower and scaffold people to have courageous conversations Reflect on your own boundaries? Pete Colby Jon Hettrick Charlotte Ngoga McCourt Derek Ngoga Elizabeth Colby #personalboundaries #workplaceboundaries #workplaceconflict #workplacemediation #grievance #hr #people