What this is

A 7-step mediation script for sitting down two teammates who are in conflict, walking them from uninterrupted venting to owned actions and a check-in date.

When to use it

Use it once you've noticed the same friction between two people surface more than once, not the first time you overhear a sharp word in a meeting.

Common mistake

Skipping straight to brainstorming a fix before each person has felt actually heard, so the "solution" doesn't stick because the underlying resentment never got named.

How to use this

Download the Word doc
Fill in the bracketed sections ahead of the meeting, as much as you can prep solo
Walk both people through it live, in the same room, step by step

For when two teammates clash, or tension surfaces live in a meeting. This script walks you through a short, structured mediation: prepare privately, set ground rules, hear each side uninterrupted, find the shared goal underneath the disagreement, and leave with owned actions and a check-in date. Use it before positions harden.

Download as Word →

Step 1 — Prepare (before the conversation)

Speak to each person privately first; note the facts vs. the emotions.
Book a neutral room and 45 uninterrupted minutes.
Clarify your role: facilitator, not judge, no pre-decided winner.
Define what "good" looks like: a working agreement, not a friendship.

Step 2 — Open with Ground Rules

"We're here to solve a work problem together. A few ground rules: one person speaks at a time, we describe behaviors not character, and everything said here stays in this room."

One voice at a time, no interruptions.
Talk about actions and impact, not motives.
Phones away; we finish with a written agreement.

Step 3 — Each Person's Uninterrupted Perspective

Person A — their view of what happened (5 min, uninterrupted): ____________________
Person B — their view of what happened (5 min, uninterrupted): ____________________
What each person heard — A restates B's view, then B restates A's: [Confirm understanding before moving on]

Step 4 — Identify Shared Goals

What do you both want for the team / project? [e.g., Ship the release on time without weekend work…]

Step 5 — Brainstorm Options Together

Option 1: [Idea, no judging yet]
Option 2: [Idea, no judging yet]
Option 3: [Idea, no judging yet]

Step 6 — Agreed Actions

Agreed action	Owner	Deadline
[Action 1]	[Name]	[Date]
[Action 2]	[Name]	[Date]
[Action 3]	[Name]	[Date]

Step 7 — Follow-up Check-in

Check-in date: [MM / DD / YYYY] · Check-in format: [e.g., 20-min huddle]

If voices rise, pause and restate the shared goal. End every mediation by reading the agreed actions aloud, ambiguity is where conflict returns.

Conflict Resolution Script