Attitudes toward litigation are changing. Whereas businesses used to believe that the answer to conflict and change lay in the legal arena, frequently turning to the courts for resolution, today a growing segment of the business community is looking elsewhere. The high cost of relying on the legal system to resolve internal and external disputes has taken its financial and emotional toil. Too frequently cost outweighs the successes gained.
Mediation has emerged as a cost-effective and time-efficient approach to settling internal and external business disputes. Indeed mediation is more than a dispute resolution process; it has proven its value as a means for assisting in the development of new business strategies, the revision of existing business relationships, the designing of business succession plans, the termination of business relationships, as well as employer/employee conflicts or issues that interfere with workplace productivity. Indeed, business mediation may focus on any issues, questions, or ideas central to the business’ well being that may benefit from a problem solving process, facilitated by a knowledgeable, impartial facilitator who is sensitive to the special concerns of your business.
Not to be overlooked is the confidentiality of the mediation process, a characteristic that many believe is the central advantage of mediation. In a private and safe environment, individuals are encouraged to collaborate in a problem-solving process free of notions of winning and losing.
At the Centre for Mediation & Dispute Resolution, our mediators strive to help you to identify the issues at stake and to explore different approaches and avenues for structuring an agreement that is acceptable to all involved parties and is workable given the business’ present and future goals.
