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

"An indispensable lifeline for parties,
managers, HR folks, and mediators alike. Lee meets them in the frustration and
fear and provides a clear map through the morass and into the light."

--Sheila
Heen, co-author of Difficult Conversations and
Thaddeus R. Beal Professor of Practice, Harvard Law School

"Navigating Conflicts at Work is
an essential resource for HR professionals or anyone tasked with helping others
resolve conflicts. Lee guides the reader with a conversational tone and offers
an experienced perspective on trickier mediation issues that may emerge. The
design of the book - organized as questions people might ask about workplace
mediation - makes it the ultimate one-stop reference."
--Andrea
Hennelly, Executive Director of People & Culture, City of Boston

"A masterful guide to workplace mediation,
this book sets a new standard for how we handle conflict at work. Mediation
expert Audrey Lee shows how and why mediation works, coaching readers through
tensions most of us would rather avoid. She offers vivid real-world examples
and a brilliantly practical, question-driven approach that makes even the most
fraught situations feel navigable. I've taught mediation for 30 years and still
found myself thinking again and again, 'Why didn't someone articulate these ideas
like this before?' On every page, Audrey anticipates the obstacles mediators
face and shows how to address them with clarity and effectiveness. Anyone who
mediates--which in the workplace is nearly all of us--will be wiser and more
effective after reading this. And for professional mediators, it raises the bar
for what successful practice can look like. Highly recommended!"

--Daniel
L. Shapiro, Founder and Director, Harvard International Negotiation Program and
author of Negotiating the Nonnegotiable

"While most books about employment mediation
are written only for lawyers or professional mediators, this isn't one of those
books. Instead, it's also aimed at the people inside organizations who must
live with the frustrating internal conflicts that prevent people from doing
their best work: managers, employees, HR experts, or recently trained or
experienced internal mediators. For them, it's a gem. Easily understandable and
packed with examples, this is the most complete and accessible handbook for the
folks who want to prevent o resolve the myriad conflicts that populate every
workplace. I enthusiastically recommend it for anyone."

--Linda R.
Singer, Mediator, JAMS

"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."

"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