CONFLICT RESOLUTION: MEDIATION, MENTORING & COACHING

Mediating, coaching, and mentoring all allow space to explore the past. Yet their true power lies in helping people move forward. Yes, those in conflict often need to reflect on how they got here. But ultimately, they come to the table to shift from the past into a more promising, productive future.

The magic for me is witnessing people co-create that future, whatever that looks like for them.

Over the past thirty years, I’ve evolved through many roles: employee, boss, entrepreneur, mentor. I’ve been an expat, a landlord, a tenant, a homeowner, a wife, a mum, and an estranged daughter. Each experience has shaped me. I bring the full breadth of that journey to my work with clients navigating family and business conflict.

At the risk of sounding a bit cookie-cutter (and annoying those who dislike made-up words), I genuinely believe our lives are journeys. I’ve made it my mission to take the road less travelled whenever opportunity knocked. That’s why my life so far has included a career as a litigation solicitor, contentious probate specialist,business owner, renovator, hotelier (of sorts), writer (of sorts). More recently, my career has swerved towards mentoring, coaching and mediating. I'm loving the discovery of how values and emotions shape us.

Conflict often stems from values. When people say they were “triggered” or someone “pushed their buttons,” it’s usually their core values being rattled. There’s the surface issue—what you think you’re fighting about—and then there’s the deeper issue: the values at the heart of your identity.

Some frown on a varied career. One of the frowners core values is likely to be 'Structure'. Another might be 'Security'. My core values include 'Discovery'. Another is 'Independence'. The point is we are all different, and we all navigate the world differently.

The world is changing faster than we can keep up. In this AI world, emotional intelligence is the social currency that sets us apart from the tech. Isn’t it exciting?

This is a brilliant time to be a mediator, and to embrace mediation as a participant. It’s a chance to learn more about yourself and your future, even as you work to resolve a dispute.

In a safe, exploratory space, you might uncover insights that resolve long-standing, recurring issues once and for all.

Conflict is opportunity. Let’s work through it. Together.