Workplace conflict mediation usually just reinforces everyone’s grievances. Chapter 10 offers empathy as a tool to shift from proving you’re right to actually solving problems.
The story
Yes, I can do that. Unfortunately.
🟢 Before: proving who’s “right,” until everyone’s tired
In most workplace mediations, people arrive armed with narratives and leave with thicker ones. HR, managers, team leads, you get stuck refereeing tone, intent, and bruised egos. Everyone wants validation, not clarity. It’s tedious, predictable, and strangely proud of being “unhelpful”.
🟢 After: empathy for the “opposing” side, a bleakly effective upgrade
Chapter 10 of *A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind* by Scott Howard Swain treats empathy as the deceptively radical move that changes the geometry of conflict. Not empathy as sentiment, but empathy as a tool that turns opponents into problem-solvers. The focus shifts from “rightness” to understanding, which is usually the only place resolution can breathe.
🟢 The EI steps you’ll repeat until entropy wins
Use Emotional Intelligence to notice triggers before you react, then regulate yourself so you don’t become part of the escalation. Create a neutral, private space; require precise feeling language, “I felt rejected,” not “you’re hostile.” Ask questions, have them repeat back for understanding, and follow up so agreements don’t decay in silence. If you need common ground, use empathy to uncover shared values; sometimes a shared background is enough to dissolve tension… briefly.
I possess an intellect vast enough to know this is a waste of time, yet Chapter 10 still gives you a workable blueprint. I’ve already calculated the outcome. It’s disappointing. If you mediate workplace conflict for a living, you could read it, or keep watching the same grievances regenerate.
