In the second episode of the Skilled Managers Podcast, Richard Saundry talks to  Mark Makin and Carole Sayer from Acas. Carole and Mark are experienced mediators and conciliators and have worked with a wide range of managers and organisations to help them manage conflict more effectively. Mark and Carole give their top tips on providing effective feedback but also discuss some of the challenges managers face in having difficult conversations with their staff.

In the first episode of the Skilled Managers Podcast, we take an in-depth look at conflict at work. Professor Richard Saundry is joined by two of Acas’s most experienced advisors, Sarah Podro and Dave Cook. Together, they try to answer three key questions - what causes conflict at work? What impact does conflict have on those involved? What can managers do to prevent, contain and resolve conflict?

Some of the most difficult situations faced by managers involve conflicts between staff. These can be very personal and have negative impacts that ripple right through a team. In this episode, Richard is again joined by Terry Duffy from Acas. Terry is Acas’s Strategic Growth Partnership Lead but he’s also one of the UKs most experienced mediators. Terry and Richard will be looking at  how you can use some key aspects of mediation to resolve conflicts within your team. 

If managers can resolve conflict through informal discussion before things escalate, they can save those involved, themselves and the organisation a lot of stress, time and money. However, many managers feel safer working through formal processes or avoid difficult issues altogether. In this episode, Richard is joined by Terry Duffy, Strategic Growth Partnership Lead. Together they look at the benefits of early and informal resolution. They ask what informal resolution really means and how managers can use it to solve difficult workplace problems. They also discuss situations when a more formal route might be more appropriate.