A few years ago I was working with a manufacturing team that wanted to be more productive. The first step was to have each participant do a self-assessment to help identify their personality and communication style. One of the team members was classified in the “Mediator” category. People in this group tend to be strong on harmony. “Let’s get along” is their motto. Richard, the business owner commented that he wished he had a whole team of “mediators”. “No, you don’t”, I replied. Why?
A Mediator wants to see everyone work together and get along. What’s the “flipside”? Mediators are usually very uncomfortable with conflict. There are times when we feel betrayed or simply disagree. If we don’t speak up, we can become frustrated and internalize our feelings. Unfortunately, doing this usually leads to us talking to someone else about our concern rather the person we should be talking to. This often leads to gossip, and gossip is not good for teamwork.
We all know the signs: When lunch break comes, certain clusters go off to another room. You know when your name is discussed because everyone gets quiet when you approach.
What do we do? Break the pattern. If someone has done or said something that has made it more difficult for you to do your job, speak up! Approach the person in a friendly way. Focus on the problem not the personality. Refrain from being judgmental. Relate the incident and how it affects your work. Seek common ground. In doing so, you will take an action step in creating a more positive working environment.
