Navigating Conflicts at Work - by Audrey J Lee (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This comprehensive resource provides a practical framework for understanding and conducting workplace mediation before conflicts become costly and disruptive.

Part I examines the distinctive nature of workplace conflict and the conditions that allow it to take root and persist. Audrey Lee explores the interpersonal and organizational dynamics that often underlie workplace disputes, offering readers practical guidance for approaching difficult conversations and addressing conflict before it escalates. Whether dealing with a conflict of their own or helping others navigate one, readers will gain a deeper understanding of how workplace disputes develop and how they can be managed more effectively.

Part II focuses on the workplace mediation process, guiding readers through each stage from initial assessment and preparation to facilitated dialogue and resolution. Organized around the questions most frequently asked by mediators and participants, the book addresses the challenges that commonly arise in workplace disputes and offers thoughtful, experience-based guidance for responding to them. The result is a practical resource for anyone seeking to understand workplace mediation and its role in fostering healthier, more productive organizations.

Review Quotes

Praise for
Navigating Conflicts at Work: A Guide to Workplace
Mediation

In this
new work, Audrey Lee brings her trademark clarity and precision

to the task of demystifying the sometimes opaque world of
workplace

mediation. She tackles common questions faced by mediators
as they

work to assess, prepare, and meet parties where they are. In
doing so, Lee

conveys to readers the same thoughtful, considered expertise
that is the

hallmark of her Harvard courses.

Nicole
Bryant, Managing Director, Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law
School

Navigating
Conflicts at Work: A Guide to Workplace Mediation is a

thoughtful and practical resource for anyone seeking to
strengthen and

sustain professional relationships--whether leading complex
workplace

conversations, managing everyday team dynamics, or
approaching conflict

through a mediator's lens. Lee blends emotional insight with
clear

structure, guiding readers through difficult situations with
both empathy

and strategy. It offers a clear, organized framework for
understanding and

navigating workplace conflict.

Charlotte
Wager, Chief Talent Officer, Jenner & Block LLP

I have
spent nearly five decades navigating workplace conflict in

Australia--as a union official, a company director, a
conciliator and

arbitrator at the Fair Work Commission (Australia's national
workplace

relations tribunal), and now as our nation's regulator, the
Fair Work

Ombudsman. Across all these roles, the most durable and
mutually beneficial

resolutions have consistently come from applying the core
values

and techniques of mediation. This book captures those
foundational

mediation values and techniques. It offers a practical,
accessible guide

for anyone wanting to understand how early, interest-based
mediation

can resolve conflict in a constructive and lasting way. I
commend it as a

valuable resource for anyone navigating workplace disputes
or supporting

others through them.

Anna
Booth, Australia's Fair Work Ombudsman and past Deputy

President, Fair Work Commission

Audrey
Lee delivers a powerful, comprehensive guide that places readers

firmly in control of their own workplace conflicts. Blending
the best of

theory with real-world application, she brings concepts to
life through

vivid storytelling, relatable examples, and practical,
easy-to-follow advice.

This isn't just a book you read--it's a toolkit you'll return
to again and

again."

Andrea
Kupfer Schneider, Professor of Law and Director, Kukin

Program for Conflict Resolution, Cardozo School of Law

Have you
ever faced a challenging workplace conflict that seemed impossible

to resolve? With over 30 years in public service--as a
firefighter,

personnel manager, and mediator--I've learned that conflict
resolution

isn't just a skill; it's a vital service. Having built an
in-house workplace

mediation program, I also understand the challenges that
come with it--

particularly navigating misinformation about what mediation
is and is

not and the absence of practical, reliable resources. This
book fills that

gap. It equips leaders and mediators alike with a
step-by-step approach

to resolving conflict while fostering a culture where every
voice is heard

and respected.

Gregory
Burton, Personnel Officer and Mediation Coordinator,

Boston Fire Department

Navigating
Conflict at Work is the perfect resource for anyone interested

in learning how to approach workplace conflict more
productively. Lee

marshals her experience across sectors to bring the concepts
to life. Using

concrete strategies and examples, she deftly responds to the
most common

questions people ask about using mediation at work.
Mediators and

parties alike will come away with the information they need
to participate

in assisted dispute resolution more meaningfully and
successfully.

Rachel
Milner Gillers, Associate Professor of the Practice and Director

of the Conflict Transformation Lab, Georgetown University

Long
overdue in the catalogue of dispute resolution literature, Navigating

Conflicts at Work is a masterclass in
addressing workplace conflict.

Audrey Lee strikes a thoughtful balance between theory and
pragmatism

while offering essential insights for everyone from
organizational leaders

to parties entrenched in disputes and those of us tasked
with facilitating

resolution. A must-read for anyone interested in the complex
dynamics

of workplace mediation.

Marcus
Stergio, Ombudsperson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

I just
want to stick it to [my manager], ' a pro se complainant
once told

me, insisting on filing a Charge of Discrimination at the
Massachusetts

Commission Against Discrimination. Plaintiff clients were
often fixated

on an offhand comment at work years ago completely unrelated
to their

legal claims against the employer defendant. In my many
years of employment

law experience, I have seen litigation matters that could
have and/

or should have not been in the
first place. With real life examples and

concise insights, Audrey Lee's book is the ultimate
user-friendly practical

guide for any legal or nonlegal professional navigating
workplace

conflicts for a chance at not only avoiding litigation but
also allowing

business continuity and even building stronger
relationships. This book

presents a clear, structured path on how to mediate
workplace conflicts

including the why behind each step. Every sentence is
imbued with Lee's

mastery of, deep understanding in, and care for the topic.

Sujin
Han, employment lawyer, former MCAD investigator, trained
mediator

This book
is a masterclass for mediators and leaders alike. Audrey's

expertise shines through every page, offering a refreshing
and highly

actionable guide to help anyone navigate this kind of
conflict with

confidence.

Seth
McNew, mediator and former communications manager at Google

Throwing
your arms up about workplace conflicts? This is the book for

you. In Navigating Conflict at Work,
Audrey Lee, an experienced workplace

coach and mediator, takes abstract notions of conflict and
negotiation

theory and provides nuts and bolts approaches to handling
the daily

conflicts that any manager can relate to. This book should
be on every

supervisor's shelf.

Art
Hinshaw, Associate Dean for Experiential Learning and Faculty

Director, Lodestar Dispute Resolution Center, Sandra Day
O'Connor

College of Law, Arizona State University

Audrey
Lee practices what she preaches. Navigating Conflicts at Work

empowers people to handle workplace conflict with confidence
and educates

organizational leaders about when and how to introduce
external

mediators. Effective conflict management fosters healthy,
respectful, and

productive workplaces. I hope this guide encourages
employers across all

sectors to utilize and invest in workplace mediation.

Morgan
Glass, Director of Organizational Development, City of Boston

In Navigating
Conflicts at Work, Audrey Lee offers valuable practical

guidance to mediators, managers, HR officials, and anyone
else wrestling

with the effort to resolve workplace conflicts. With an
accessible and

straightforward writing style, she introduces her readers to
central concepts

in the field of conflict resolution, explains them and then
adapts

them to the unique and often challenging situations of
workplace conflict.

Audrey cleverly organizes the bulk of the book around 25 of
the

most commonly asked questions about workplace mediation and
sorts

them into the chronological stages of the usual mediation
process. She

takes on tough questions that may confront the conflict
resolvers, such as

strong emotions, neutrality, and imbalances of power and
answers them

honestly and openly, especially for a young and still
growing field. She

then leaves her readers with an excellent store of tools and
resources as

well as paths for further learning.

Brad
Honoroff, Mediator, The Mediation Group

What
draws me to this book is how interactive it is. Questions and

quizzes that make people think. And after they have
reflected on their

experience, the book gives them clear directions on next
steps. This book

draws on the wisdom of years of experience and study and
translates it

into implementable steps. It is not only approachable but
also a powerful

tool for bringing peace to the workplace.

Dr.
Clare Fowler, Executive VP of Mediate.com, 2024 International
Woman of Peace Award, workplace mediator

Right
from the first chapter, Audrey Lee's debut book draws you in

through its accessible style, rich with compelling cases and
detailed scenarios

stemming from Lee's decades of experience managing workplace

conflict. With clear, actionable guidance, Lee masterfully
unpacks even

the most tangled relationships, all through her deep
expertise in mediation

and dispute resolution. As an established higher education
professional,

I found the layered examples highly relatable; yet the
guidance

Lee offers extends to new and seasoned leaders in any
industry who

are navigating complex workplace dynamics. Fans of the
'Getting to

Yes' approach to negotiation and those seeking real-life
solutions for

entrenched conflicts will find Lee's insights invaluable. If
you want practical

strategies that can transform personal and professional
relationships

and a deeper understanding of unique industry challenges,
this book is

an absolute must-have.

Geertrui
M. Spaepen, Associate Provost for Operations & Initiatives,
The University of Chicago

Navigating
Conflict at Work is a practical, highly readable guide that

helps in-house lawyers decide whether, when, and how to
mediate conflicts

in the workplace--even their own. It offers a clear, concise
playbook

for engaging in effective mediation, tailored to real-world
workplace

dynamics. In-house counsel who may be called on to 'step' in
at various

stages of a conflict will find concrete tools, questions,
and frameworks

they can use right away to resolve workplace conflicts
thoughtfully and

successfully.

Jennifer
Kobayashi, Associate General Counsel, Aon