Closing the UK's productivity gap - the role of mediation

Productivity is a term HR professionals are talking about a lot these days. And unfortunately we’re talking about it because productivity in the UK is lagging well behind economies like the United States and Germany.

But how can HR professionals improve it? One key driver of productivity is innovation. Innovation is the lifeblood of any successful organisation or economy. What is often overlooked, though, is the link between innovation and workplace relations. Relationships on the ‘shop floor’ are the building blocks of any organisation and if those relationships are on shaky ground, the structure as a whole is seriously compromised.

In the UK we have come to rely heavily on procedural, quasi-judicial ways of handling workplace conflict.  There is a strong focus on right and wrong, on winners and losers. This makes people terribly risk-averse. Employees fear grievance procedures and the threat of a formal complaint hangs over the office. It stifles innovation and holds back productivity.