Workplace Mediation: Reflections from the New Deputy Chair of the Working Group
Workplace Mediation: Reflections from the New Deputy Chair of the Working Group
Marie Coombes has stepped into the role of Deputy Chair of the CMC’s Workplace Mediation Working Group, working alongside Chair Dionne Dury. In this blog, she reflects on her professional journey into workplace mediation, the changing realities of workplace conflict, and the priorities she hopes to support through the Working Group’s work.
WRITTEN BY MARIE COOMBES
I’m really pleased to be stepping into the role of Deputy Chair of the Civil Mediation Council’s Workplace Mediation Working Group, building on my existing involvement in the group.
I trained as a workplace mediator with The TCM Group in 2014 at Royal Mail, where I was part of a newly created national mediation team. My early work focused on resolving conflict between managers and union representatives, before expanding into workplace relationship breakdown, including grievance, bullying and harassment, dignity at work issues and long-standing interpersonal conflict. Before moving into mediation, I worked in HR in change management, operational HR and industrial relations. That background continues to shape how I work today, helping me understand conflict not just as something happening between individuals, but as something influenced by pressure, systems, power and organisational culture.
As workplace conflict has evolved, so has my practice. Much of my work now sits alongside mental health, neurodiversity and psychological safety. I’m known for quickly building trust across organisations, including with staff, unions and leadership, and for creating the kind of space where difficult conversations can happen safely and honestly. A key focus of my work is helping leaders and organisations see mediation as something that builds confidence and capability, rather than a last resort.
Alongside my mediation practice, I work across a number of settings, including through my own organisation, We Restore Calm, and as an associate with The TCM Group and ADR Mediation & Training. This includes cultural work through TRUST™ audits with We Restore Calm and the Resolution Framework delivered for TCM, helping organisations understand what drives escalation and how to address issues earlier and more constructively. I also design and deliver training for mediators, leaders and organisations, covering workplace mediation, conflict coaching, mental health, neurodiversity. I’ve written and recorded the Civil Mediation Council’s Mental Health and Mediation videos, supporting practitioners to work more confidently and compassionately with psychological complexity in conflict. I’m a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, a multi award-winning conflict coach and mediator, and a Mental Health First Aid Instructor.
Workplace mediation matters deeply to me. Unresolved conflict carries a real human cost for the people involved and a significant impact on organisations. I believe we have had the opportunity to move workplace mediation forward in the UK for some time and now feels like the right moment to take that next step with greater pace and intent. That includes earlier intervention, better understanding among employers, and practice that reflects the realities people are working with today.
As Deputy Chair, I’m keen to play an active and supportive role in that progress, helping to strengthen and accelerate the work already underway within the Working Group. I’m particularly interested in strengthening good practice, building confidence and capability across the profession, and helping workplace mediation be better understood, valued and used. I also want to shine a clearer light on the human cost of unresolved conflict, ensuring the impact on individuals is recognised alongside organisational and economic considerations.
I’m really looking forward to working with the Chair, fellow Working Group members and the wider CMC community over the coming months. It’s a privilege to be part of this work, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me.
With 25 years of HR expertise at Royal Mail and as a freelance consultant, Marie Coombes specialises in conflict transformation and psychological safety. She has successfully led over 300 workplace mediations and is deeply passionate about mental health. Marie applies her trauma-informed training to empower individuals and foster resilience within the workplace. Her achievements include multiple Mediation Team of the Year awards at Royal Mail and the prestigious 2020 Civil Mediation Council Workplace Mediator of the Year Award, earned during her first year as CEO of We Restore Calm.
Connect with Marie on LinkedIn or visit her website We Restore Calm
