Not a single caterpillar
suspects she will
ever be a butterfly.

As a mediator in workplace relations and social affairs, I resolutely opt for solution-oriented mediation. I let the different parties come together in a voluntary way and guide them towards a jointly supported solution.

As an independent and "multi-partial" mediator, I am there for every party involved. This is in contrast to, among others, a lawyer who in principle only acts for one party and who preferably positions the parties in opposing corners. I mainly improve communication, facilitate the conversation and create a safe framework that I also monitor.

I am also happy to assist you with practical guidelines for setting up and implementing transformative conflict policies and management systems together. This as an accredited mediator and based on my basic training and experiences as a serial entrepreneur and consultant in various sectors.
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Conflicts in the workplace - and the resulting absenteeism from work - can have quite drastic and negative consequences, especially when they drag on for a long time. The schedules get messed up, non-involved people have to work overtime, the work atmosphere becomes tense, the quality and productivity of the work decreases, customers and thus profits are lost, the company image suffers damage, conflict absenteeism arises (often in the form of sick leave) as well as long-term absence of valuable employees, and in extreme cases it even leads to the termination of employment contracts. Workplace conflicts can occur at all levels and between all actors of a company or organization, in a setting with or without trade unions. They can usually be traced back to conflicts between employer(s)/manager(s) and employee(s), between colleagues, or within and between (management) teams and departments. Territorial and competence issues often play a role at the horizontal level, while at the vertical level it is mainly about power and the constant tension between control and autonomy. However, the cause may just as well lie with an employee who is in conflict with himself, is dissatisfied with himself and shows little self-esteem and contentment with himself.
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Conflicts in the workplace do not necessarily have to be problematic or lead to absenteeism and additional costs for the organization. Things can also be handled differently! Dealing properly with a (potential) workplace conflict can actually yield benefits for the individual, the team and the company.

Workplace conflicts should be seen as a functional tool for the development and innovation of people and the organization. It is about putting conflict in a positive light and developing a sound conflict policy. In this way you achieve profit in the broad sense of the word: you limit the costs of conflicts, you increase productivity and you let the employees' job satisfaction take precedence. After all, a healthy company requires a healthy heart!

By the way, I cannot stress enough that there is no reason whatsoever to keep a conflict indoors, but rather on the contrary. As explained above, conflicts within an organization are not negative. The organization does not lose its influence if a third party is brought in, and the approach by HR or union representation is simply not impartial. The latter parties will always tend to tackle the problems themselves, without making the conflicting parties responsible for the solution. In mediation, resolving a conflict is actually the responsibility of the conflicting parties. It is the parties themselves who strive for a jointly supported outcome and an alternative, creative solution to achieve a win-win situation. In this way they break with the balance of power that is often present in working relationships.
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We chose the "endless knot" as the figurative trademark. After all, this image is a good representation of systems thinking, the basic thinking in conflict situations. A common and wrong approach to conflict is to look at the contribution of separate individuals and to form an opinion about what is going on based on this. However, systems thinking takes a fundamentally different approach, by putting the individual personality between brackets and looking at what is going on "between" people. So the point is to find out what someone is in relation to another. In this way a person/employee is not reduced to being dominant or wait-and-see, but as dominant or wait-and-see in relation to or in the presence of another person/employee. It is less confronting for someone to adjust his/her behavior in a specific context than to adjust his/her entire personality.

Human relationships are cyclical and interdependent, and therefore we see an infinite influence and coherence between people and systems. The system as a whole is more than just the behavior of the members that compose it. Every effect is immediately also a cause, and this loops continues infinitely. Hence the “endless knot”.

The name “De Derde Partij” – in English “The Third Party” – refers to the accredited mediator as a neutral, independent and impartial - or rather multi-partial - party. After all, a mediator is there for everyone involved, and is committed to improving communication and creating and monitoring a safe framework for all participants.
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