PLA Podcast Episode#3 | June 2023
Partnering in today's fragmented professional context is not always easy. It involves bridging all sorts of boundaries, such as different functions, hierarchies, locations and cultures, to name but a few.
It's easier than ever to get into conflict, with destructive results for everyone, draining not only performance, productivity and innovation, but also energy, potential and well-being.
In an increasingly fluid and connected world, conflict resolution is becoming a vital responsibility for each of us, not just something we can delegate to team leaders or management.
In this episode of the Partnering Leadership Academy podcast, I sat down with Susann Bongers, a Swiss accredited mediation and conflict resolution expert from the University of Applied Sciences Lucerne and co-founder of bcompagnion GmbH (Switzerland), to explore what each of us can do to raise awareness and more consciously de-escalate conflicts at an early stage.
Sharing openly her extensive experience as a mediator, Susann reaffirmed how much the discovery of innovative win-win solutions and the bridging of differing interests and needs - at the centre of partnering leadership - depends on our willingness to take the time to silence and listen to each other - and to ourselves.
Tune into this lively conversation that will serve as a powerful reminder of how we can sharpen our sensitivity and cultivate our listening muscle, especially in tense and conflicted situations.
If you would like to learn more about Susan's work, you are welcome to visit her website (in German) or contact her directly via LinkedIn or visit the mediation training website of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (in German).
If you’d like to learn more about the 18 partnering leadership principles and how to set up constructive partnering routines in meetings, feel welcome to explore this free PLA offering about Establishing Partnering Routines.