1st February 2017, The Old Library, LLoyd’s of London, 1 Lime Street, EC3M 7HA


CIVIL MEDIATION COUNCIL


review sessions. Finally, as an important pillar of quality assurance all mediators were required to obtain and analyse feedback from the mediation parties on a specially designed questionnaire.


What would you say to others following in your footsteps?


1. To launch a mediation-based conflict management scheme you need a convincing argument which is


in line with your


corporations’ basic goals: To improve corporate culture and to defend its values even when it’s getting hard to do so – namely in case of conflict – is a very good reason. Saving money, reducing internal costs of conflict, strengthening the commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour of employees, fostering co-operation and communication are also good reasons for management to implement such a scheme.


2. Develop a tailor-made concept rather than borrow from


others. Make sure it really fits the needs and requirements of your corporation and, to help identify possible reservations and hindrances, present and discuss your approach with as many colleagues and executives as possible. 3. Find mentors and supporters for your idea and check if


the personal, organisational and financial resources you need to implement a mediation scheme are available. 4. Check your own commitment and resilience and assess


your ability to keep yourself and others motivated when there is indifferent feedback or other setbacks. Finally and most important, when you have successfully ticked all boxes, just do it!


What other mediation schemes and initiatives have you implemented besides E.ON?


Opportunity Commissioners, corporate health care professionals, etc.). The aim of the training was to enable these colleagues to advise their “customers” on the available choices to resolve conflicts - including our mediation resource. With experience, I would start the training of those conflict advisers earlier than we did, maybe even simultaneously with the mediators. Anyway, to have skilled conflict advisors in addition proved a very effective part of E.ON’s overall conflict management scheme.


How did you maintain the quality and skills of E.ON’s internal mediators?


All our internal mediators took part in a tailor-made in-house 90 hour training programme supplemented with preparation and follow-up activities which was accredited by the German Bar Association. To maintain and develop the skills of E.ON’s internal mediators there were regular programmes, supervision and peer


www.civilmediation.org 11


In 2008, I co-founded the Round Table Mediation & Conflict Management of German economy (www.rtmkm.de), an association of German corporations which are specifically open to ADR. The idea originated at E.ON when we met colleagues from SAP, another pioneering company in the field of corporate mediation. As of today, over 80 leading corporations are represented in the Round Table, including Siemens, Audi, Porsche, RWE, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bahn, Lufthansa, Airbus, Allianz and Grundig. I left E.ON at the end of 2013 and set up my own business as


lawyer, mediator, consultant and interim manager, but I still actively pursue a number of ADR-initiatives. Currently, backed up by the Round Table, we have just started an “ADR Corporate Pledge” initiative with the first German corporations already having signed that pledge. I co-edit a legal commentary to the German Mediation Act and am an Assistant Professor for the implementation of conflict management systems in corporations and organisations. Of course I also practice as a mediator in workplace conflicts and B2B disputes.


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