The Issue As a Managing Partner or Practice Group Leader you find that one of your teams is under performing to such an extent it has become dysfunctional and the partners and fee earners are for whatever reason hardly communicating. The dynamics of a once thriving and performing team have changed, the partners have fallen out, the fee earners have spotted this and become demoralised, cliques have formed, the team lacks focus and drive, and before anyone was able to stop it performance has dipped by an unacceptable level. The partners are not able to or will not find a solution themselves and outside intervention in some form is now necessary. The Cause In some ways the cause is irrelevant, except in so far as it may be relevant to the solution, but we have seen this situation arise from: • a fall out between partners; • a failure by partners to manage; • strategic change management; • a period of transition and uncertainty within the business; • behaviour driven from over ambition; • personal matters creeping into work performance; • character clashes; • a failure to deal with some team member's behavior; • a failure to delegate; • misunderstanding/misinterpreting people's behavior; • patronising or dominating behaviour going unchecked. Our Aim (1) To resolve complex and seemingly intractable team and group disputes positively by • quickly identifying the issues that are causing the conflict; • finding and developing solutions that will resolve the conflict. (2) To restore a healthy working relationship for the benefit of the firm, the partners and the fee earners. (3) To assist the firm (where appropriate) to resolve and handle a change of structure or management style. The Solution An independent person needs to talk to the partners and the fee earners (and if necessary the support staff) in the team in confidence, canvass all views, find out the real causes of the breakdown (which will not necessarily agree with what is being reported through to management), consider potential solutions, introduce and debate those solutions, reach agreement and report back to senior management. This is "Team Mediation" which is a structured process whereby an impartial mediator facilitates communication between a number of people in order to clarify the issues between them and to encourage them to come up with mutually beneficial solutions and agreements that will improve their working relationship in the future. It enables all parties - the firm, the senior management, the partners and fee earners within that team - to reach a positive solution. As the solution comes from within the team and from the partners, and is not imposed on them, the solution will be accepted, realistic and sustainable. What does a Team Mediation involve? What types of solution are envisaged? Our Expertise of Team Mediation. For the answers to these points I'm afraid please go to our website - it will be worth it http://www.nwmediationsolutions.co.uk/2013/04/556/. In ending I can only ask: Why chose us? We understand • the issues that professional partnerships face • how professional partnerships work • the dynamics of how partners operate and the problems that can cause We provide • a positive approach • experience • lateral thinking • a fair way of resolving disputes • sustainable long term solutions We are • practical • commercial • unique in that only we offer this specialist service to deal with the issues that professional partnerships face in these unchartered times where for the first time hundreds if not thousands of professional partnerships struggle for their own existence.
I’ve been in legal administration for over 35 years – I know how things work, and appreciate the benefits of mediation as an essential tool to consider when in dispute. I can discuss its benefits to…
