PRAISE FOR MANAGING CONFLICT ‘This is an incredibly useful guide to understanding and dealing with conflict. David Liddle helpfully combines the theory and psychology behind conflict with hands-on, practical tips for managing conflict, all brought to life in case studies. Whilst the author is clearly an expert in conflict and shares many examples of situations he has been involved in, this guide is accessible to all. I will be recommending it to my team, managers and employees – in fact to anyone involved in managing conflict.’ Kirsty Devine, Head of US HR and Global Projects, Financial Times ‘Conflict is inevitable – indeed a healthy level of conflict enables organizations to grow. It is when conflict becomes unhealthy that it stifles the organization and the employees within it. David Liddle’s book is a practical and essential guide to understanding and managing what is often regarded as a taboo subject. With case studies from a wide range of industries, handy tips and questions that any HR professional should be asking themselves, Managing Conflict is required reading.’ Martin Blackburn, UK People Director, KPMG ‘After the Dispute Resolution Regulations (2004) were repealed following my report ten years ago, it was widely hoped that a system of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) would emerge across the UK. In Managing Conflict, David Liddle has highlighted some innovative and highly effective approaches and he has gathered first-hand evidence about the powerful and lasting impact of ADR. Moreover, he has also set out some very significant challenges (and some pragmatic solutions) that should be addressed by HR, unions, business leaders and policymakers if we are going to see a real shift in culture and policy regarding the management of conflict at work.’ Michael Gibbons CBE, Independent Reviewer of the Dispute Resolution Regulations (2004) for the Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry, 2007 ‘This is a very useful and, in many ways, radical resource for employers managing conflict within the workplace. The book advocates a “holistic and integrated conflict management system” and provides a wealth of resource materials in order to establish and implement such a system. Employment lawyers should note the book’s trenchant comments criticizing the traditional adversarial and rights-based grievance procedure and the range of conflict management processes that are recommended in its place – each of which being fully compliant with current legislation. There is cogent evidence that a significant number of employers are now implementing internal workplace mediation schemes with high success rates and that many others are likely to follow this trend.’ Peter Frost, Partner and Head of Employment Disputes, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP ‘Every workplace generates chronic conflicts, yet few organizations have rethought the way they work, or used conflict resolution techniques to transform the sources of conflict at work, or examined their “conflict cultures” to discover how disputes are being generated and prevent their recurrence. Fewer still have conducted “conflict audits” to reveal where these streams of conflict originate, or designed complex, multilayered, integrated systems to strengthen their capacity for conflict prevention, resolution and transformation. David Liddle has written an incredibly useful book that shows how to measure the costs of conflict in any workplace and how to prevent and resolve it. It is insightful and immensely practical, and I recommend it highly.’ Kenneth Cloke, co-author of Resolving Conflicts at Work: Ten strategies for everyone on the job ‘David Liddle’s book is honest, thoughtful, engaging and practical. Conflict has been a big part of my 40 years as a union officer, during which I have learned the hard way of the benefits of getting below the surface and recognizing the demons at work inside everyone round the table and moving beyond process and game playing. My demon has always been that by taking such a risk I will be scoffed at because “of course it won’t work”. Well it does, and this important book shows that it does. I hope the wisdom on every page will give courage, hope and help to a new generation freed from the traditions of dispute resolution.’ Jim McAuslan, ex-General Secretary, British Airline Pilots’ Association ‘This book offers a welcome relief from traditional approaches to managing conflict. The arguments for shifting to a more integrated, person-centred and values-based approach are set out simply and plainly. The models and toolkits that David Liddle has created are easily applied and will be of benefit to all organizations.’ Andy Keeling, Chief Operating Officer, Leicester City Council ‘Having had to implement grievance and disciplinary procedures in various business, public and third sector settings, I have often wished for a more humane and less exhausting process. This book not only shines a light on what is going wrong, it offers practical and proven alternatives. Not only does it supply ideas on what to do, but also how to do it. The layout is helpful for busy managers who wish to dip in and out of the book and there is a very useful Resolution Resources section. I wish this book had been available years ago.’ Nancy Radford, Business Coach and Mediator, Roundtuit Ltd ‘This book draws on extensive research to deliver a comprehensive and accessible framework for managing the broad spectrum of conflict situations facing organizations today. A highly recommended read.’ Rachael Tyler, Development Director, Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA), London Academy ‘There will no doubt be a time in every person’s life where they will feel overwhelmed, dismayed and perplexed by either a personal or organizational conflict. Read and apply what Managing Conflict has to offer and that statement could become a thing of the past. A must-read for any HR professional, leader, manager or team member.’ Caroline Waters OBE, Founder, CW Consulting Box ‘This book challenges traditional thinking on managing conflict in the workplace and makes us consider the broad benefits a positive approach to conflict resolution could bring, as well as supplying practical tools and guidance to facilitate the reduction of conflict.’ Philip Edwards, Head of ER and Policies, Financial Services ‘This book provides everything that leaders and HR professionals need to build the case for a different approach to managing conflict. It provides real-world examples that show the benefits to the individual and the organization of mediation, plus practical tools to build skills. It is a full-on challenge to the HR function to change its role during conflict – from policing and process to dialogue and understanding. If you have witnessed the damage that conflict inflicts on individuals, teams and organizations and you want to learn about a better, top-to-bottom organizational response, this book will help you in so many ways.’ Debbie Sanders, Head of Employee Relations, National Air Traffic Services (NATS) ‘If there is one book you must read it is David Liddle’s Managing Conflict. David has been at the forefront of dispute resolution for years, and this book does what it says on the cover. As ever, David brings a practical, no- nonsense and empathetic approach to his subject. One to trust, dip into at any time and return to, again and again.’ Andi Hargreaves, Head, People Policy and ER, Department for International Trade ‘Managing Conflict provides a well-structured and hugely practical insight into understanding, preventing and resolving workplace issues. From understanding mediation to positive psychology, the author covers relevant topics in a thorough and accessible style, completing the book with an invaluable resources section.’ David D’Souza, Head of Engagement and London, CIPD, Experienced HR/OD/Change Leader ‘This book lives up to the description of being a practical guide. It covers a wide range of conflict situations with very “doable” ways of dealing with them. This is an extremely valuable guide for HR professionals and others who need to manage conflict on a daily basis.’ HR Leader, Mercer ‘This is a really comprehensive review of what causes conflict in an organization and different methods to address it. I was really struck by the whole-systems approach taken and the focus on different forms of mediation, particularly for addressing incidents of bullying and harassment. An ideal resource for HR professionals and organizational leaders.’ Rachael Etebar, Group HR Director, Department for Transport Managing Conflict A practical guide to resolution in the workplace David Liddle Publisher’s note Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publisher and authors cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or any of the authors. First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2017 by Kogan Page Limited Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses: 2nd Floor, 45 Gee Street London EC1V 3RS United Kingdom c/o Martin P Hill Consulting 122 W 27th St, 10th Floor New York NY 10001 USA 4737/23 Ansari Road Daryaganj New Delhi 110002 India www.koganpage.com © David Liddle, 2017 © for Chapter 4, Laura Farnsworth, Chris Smith and Laurence Mills of Lewis Silkin LLP, 2017 The right of David Liddle and of each commissioned author of this work to be identified as an author of this work has been asserted by him/her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. ISBN 978 0 7494 8088 2 E-ISBN 978 0 7494 8089 9 Typeset by Integra Software Services, Pondicherry Print production managed by Jellyfish Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY CONTENTS Cover Title Page Copyright Contents List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgements Introduction PART ONE  Putting conflict into context 01    What’s wrong with contemporary conflict management and what can organizations do about it? Putting conflict into context What is conflict? The two types of conflict Conclusion References 02    The lifecycle of a conflict: How and why conflicts escalate Introduction The lifecycle of a conflict Conclusion