Mediate a Conflict Between Two Team Members

Two people on your team are at each other and you are the one expected to sort it. Describe the situation. You get a neutral opening, five open questions to ask each privately, a facilitation agenda with ground rules for the joint meeting, and the likely root causes underneath. For managers heading into a mediation they did not ask for.

I'm a manager dealing with an interpersonal conflict between two team members. Here's the situation: {CONFLICT_DESCRIPTION}. Help me prepare for a mediation conversation. Give me: (1) A neutral opening statement I can use to set the tone; (2) 5 open-ended questions to ask each person separately before bringing them together; (3) A facilitation agenda for the joint conversation, including ground rules; (4) Likely root causes to probe for based on the situation described; (5) Two or three resolution frameworks I can propose if both parties are willing. Keep the tone professional, empathetic, and focused on restoring working relationships rather than assigning blame.