May 2006

Thinking through a recent mediation, I reflected on the fact that so much of what we really need or fear in a relationship or situation is hidden, even from ourselves! I hope you will enjoy this mediation story.

With love and best wishes

Jane
Corporate Peacemakers

Making Molehills Out Of Mountains

FIGHTING FIRES WITHOUT BURNING BRIDGES

Scenario 1

Four business partners Jim, Louise, Clive and David sit outside court and wait for the Judge to arrive, they have reached the end of the road. They will ask the court to dissolve the partnership and determine the amount each partner will receive, the business will be wound up and they will go their separate ways. Each partner has his own legal team to represent him, two partners are no longer speaking and one is receiving medical treatment and counselling for stress and depression as a result of the business break up. Each will fight the other to gain the settlement they feel is right under the terms of the partnership agreement.

Scenario 2

Four business partners Jim, Louise, Clive and David smile and shake hands.

After 10 hours in mediation a totally different picture has emerged from this dispute.

During the mediation the Mediator has discovered: -

• David, one of the partners has run up huge expense accounts, offended clients, been sharp and abusive in meetings and has been siphoning money from one of the business accounts causing the business to spiral downward.
• Jim has refused to acknowledge the impact of David’s behaviour, they are old school chums and go back a long way.
• David’s daughter has been receiving treatment for drug and alcohol abuse and he has been spending time and money trying to help her
• Jim wants to retire but Clive and Louise want to try and rescue the business
• David wants to work for the charity that helped his daughter

The mediator has helped the partners to explore the breakdown of their business relationship, helped them to understand what each wants as an outcome now and helped them formulate an agreement to reach that outcome that all have now signed.

Clive and Louise have agreed to continue the business with a new vision and purpose and with the specific aim of supporting a local charity that provides rehabilitation for troubled teenagers. David will work for the charity and receive an agreed payment for his share in the business. Jim will retire but continue to support Clive and Louise as a consultant.

The survival instinct burns as strongly in each of us today as it did hundreds of thousands of years ago – in evolutionary terms we must win each battle to survive another day.

The tendency toward the instinctive fight or flight, adversarial response to conflict is so deeply ingrained in our thoughts and in our feelings that for each individual it takes personal commitment and a genuine understanding of the alternatives to turn it round.

Mediation offers those people involved in managing conflict and resolving dispute the knowledge and the skills to overcome adversity and blame and resolve issues in a civilised and co-operative way.

Mediation is truly a skill for the 21st Century.

"Peacemaking is not something that we should do to or impose on others, it is the responsibility of us all to live its message"

© Jane Gunn 2006

www.corpeace.com | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it