I recently attended a training put on by the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council. The program was led by Kenneth Cloke, an experienced and gifted mediator from California. One of the themes he discussed was the causes or meaning of resistance.
Often business owners and managers struggle with a customer or employee and their resistance. “Why don’t they get it?” From the perspective of the business owner or manager, the issue at hand couldn’t be any more clear. When there is an impasse breakthrough it is often the result of random luck rather than organized process.
During the presentation I referenced above, Kenneth Cloke made the simple but enlightening statement that “all resistance represents an unmet need.” When I sat with this for a while, it became clear that misunderstandings are often not the result of one side “not getting it” but more likely the other side not understanding the unmet need that drives the resistance at hand.
Mediators are trained to help parties understand not just what their positions are, but what underlying interests or needs push them in a particular direction. If your organization or business experiences regular resistance for which you have been unable to identify the unmet need, I’d be happy to work with you in reaching a better resolution.
To find out how mediation and collaborative law may be able to help your organization, contact our office today.
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