Resolving Labor Conflicts as a Labor of Love. Member Spotlight: Milena Tasić
Milena Tasić was born in Belgrade, Serbia. For her education, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in law from Union University Law School Belgrade (UULSB) and passed the bar before earning a master’s degree. Since then, she has worked primarily in litigation for a city public attorney’s office and a bank. Currently, she is a corporate secretary for a scientific association as well as a PhD candidate at UULSB. Her research focuses on out-of-court settlement of individual labor disputes in Serbia. Related to this topic, she also serves as a conciliator and arbitrator for Serbia’s Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labour Disputes. In this role, she is regularly called upon to assist with resolving labor disputes that arise and are of importance to Serbia’s economy.
Tasić’s introduction to mediation came almost as a coincidence. One year, she received basic mediation training as a birthday present. Though she did not foresee a mediation-related career, she found the training very interesting and useful, imparting many useful skills and mindsets to deal with conflict and communication. That initial training, in combination with many others through her different roles and her own personal growth, has reframed her view of conflict. Tasić had grown up “not liking conflicts and always trying to avoid them.” She said this may have had something to do with her eventually becoming a mediator. Now, she thinks about conflict not as something intrinsically negative that is better avoided but “something that can even be positive. It can be an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve a relationship. I learned that the factor that decides that is how we approach a conflict. If we approach a conflict well, then a conflict can actually result in something good.” She believes that the keys to approaching a conflict well and transforming it into an opportunity for growth are good communication and empathy. “For mediators, but also for all of us in everyday life, it is essential to learn how to understand another person’s perspective, ask questions, listen actively and communicate assertively. These skills help people move beyond their stated positions and uncover their underlying interests and needs. They also enable them to express and explain those interests and needs clearly while listening to and understanding the interests and needs of the other party. In this way, conflicts can be resolved at a deeper level, creating an opportunity not only to settle the dispute but also to strengthen the relationship−sometimes even leaving it better than it was before the conflict arose.”
Tasić has a nuanced perspective on conflict and conflict resolution from her many experiences. From her background in law, public and corporate litigation, interpersonal mediation, and labor dispute conciliation and arbitration, she has seen “how burdensome unresolved conflicts can become. They can last for years, cost money, consume time and energy, and take a toll on people’s health, personal lives and careers. I wouldn’t claim that every dispute can be resolved amicably − I simply don’t know whether that is possible in every case. However, I do believe that the vast majority of disputes can be resolved through dialogue and agreement. I think everyone should at least try to resolve their disputes peacefully, because there is nothing to lose by making such an attempt. If it succeeds, there is a great deal to gain.” Additionally, she has realized that the peaceful settlement of disputes is more than an abstract concept or theory; dispute resolution is very real and achievable, especially when facilitated through processes like mediation, conciliation, and arbitration.
Aside from her areas of focus, Tasić joined MBBI’s network to make connections with and learn from peers working in related fields in other countries. She is also interested in learning about the field of cultural mediation, specifically mediating disputes related to cultural heritage.
Article by Hunter Siegel, MBBI Writer