Snohomish resident Vivian Scott hasn’t always been an expert in mediation.
After a 20-year career in marketing where she forged relationships and negotiated deals for high tech companies, Scott retired. With no plans of working again, she went back to school to obtain her Bachelor of Arts Degree in American Studies.
As fate would have it, just as she was finishing her last few weeks of school, a fellow student, whom she barely knew, told Scott that she would be very good at mediation. The next week this same student gave her a packet of information about the field. Scott was intrigued—so intrigued that she signed up for mediation training at the Dispute Resolution Center in Everett.
“I was in class five minutes and knew this was what I was meant to do,” she said.
That was five years ago. Since then Scott has built a successful business as a professional certified mediator and last year she published the book “Conflict Resolution at Work for Dummies.”
The idea for the book was born out of her marketing know-how. “This stuff is incredible. Someone should tell the world about it,” she said.
The book offers advice on how to keep harmony in the workplace, improve employee relationships, boost morale, and prevent conflicts from starting.
It’s written for workplace managers, but the easy-to-read, practical guide works well for any employee. Scott says the book is especially pertinent in today’s economy because scaled back businesses often need to use these skills to manage their transitions.
Workplace conflict is not always a bad thing. Instead, it can be an opening to improve things.
“It’s an opportunity because it’s a sign that something isn’t working and you can resolve it,” she said.
“This is more strategic in the workplace then trying to crush somebody. You still win and it expands the definition of win.”
She’s also learned a personal value of practicing dispute resolution.
“An individual will never be sorry that they resolved a conflict,” she said.
Although workplace conflict can take many forms and steps to resolve, Scott offers a couple of ideas to get started.
When a dispute is between two people, they can start resolving their differences by trying to understand what is motivating the other person’s point of view.
They can also change their expectations as part of the negotiation. Steps such as these can open the door to finding a resolution that works for all.
Low morale, for instance, is an example of conflict that comes about when two distinct groups of employees are disconnected, she said.
Many times, it’s between the management team and the hourly employees. In this situation, Scott said a first step is to identify who is involved, explore what each group values and what is driving those values.
As a mediator, she might ask, “Is it a system that needs to be fixed or something that we can work out as humans.”
Cubicle environments are another example of where tension might live in the workplace. “Little things become too important. If it’s in your face every single day, it becomes bigger than it needs to be,” she said. Conflict resolution does not always work, but if you leave your job, leave with your good reputation intact.
“Sometimes you try everything. You need to step back and say these people are not in a place to change things. I’m giving this too much energy,” she said. “It’s never a good idea to get angry and leave.”
Scott’s book is good for anyone who is in a personal conflict in or out of the workplace. It’s not a cover-to-cover read. Instead, it’s a resource book with a table of contents and index for reference.
She also provides mediation services for a variety of situations ranging from immediate family relationships to resolving problems with neighbors.
Scott credits her success to building on skills that she gained throughout her first career of high-tech marketing. She often used problem-solving and negotiation skills. Becoming a professional mediator was a natural progression for her.
She plans to grow her business by building conflict resolution seminars for the workplace, even toying with the idea of offering a “lunch-box” series where she can present information informally. She also wants to write a column on workplace resolution and other mediation tips.
“At the end of the day, I want to mediate. That’s my passion,” she said.
For more information visit her Web site at www.vivianscottmediation.com.
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