When friction moves from a process issue to a personal one, a supervisor must act as a facilitator, not a judge. Use this 4-Step Mediation Script to move the conversation from “finger-pointing” to “future-solving.”
The Script: “I’ve noticed some tension between you two regarding [Project X]. My goal today isn’t to figure out who is ‘right’ or ‘wrong,’ but to figure out how we can work together more effectively so neither of you feels frustrated. I value both of your contributions, and I want to support a smoother workflow.”
Why it works: It establishes Psychological Safety immediately.
The Action: Ask Person A to describe the situation without using “You” statements. Then ask Person B to repeat back what they heard before responding.
The Script: “Person A, tell me how this process feels from your side. Use ‘I’ statements, like ‘I feel stressed when the data arrives late.’ Person B, before you respond, summarize what A just said to ensure you understood their perspective.”
Source: This uses the Interest-Based Relational (IBR) Approach to separate people from the problem.
The Script: “Looking at our RACI Chart and our Say-Do Metrics, where is the hand-off breaking down? Is this a lack of information, or do we need to change how we communicate the deadline?”
Why it works: It brings the focus back to the accountability standards you’ve already built, making the fix objective rather than personal.
The Script: “We can’t change the past weeks, but we can change tomorrow. What is one specific change you both agree to make in how you interact? Let’s turn this into an Action Lock: One owner, one deliverable, and one new communication rule.”
The Goal: End with a Collaborative Action Plan.