Early intervention (including investigations)

Take action to prevent misunderstandings escalating.

Your "within business" relationships are crucial for the health of your organisation. But the reality is that very few operate optimally.

“Time and again, I wish I could turn back the clock and be involved earlier. The businesses would likely come through unscathed and, if that’s not possible, good processes would guide everyone through to a tidy outcome.”

The earlier, the better

Ideally, the timing of resolving conflict should not be set by what your contract or the law says. Early intervention gives you a chance to sort issues out before they escalate into conflict that ruins your business.

Timing is critical and will be different for each potential dispute, but there is a general principle: when people are open to negotiation, they are ready to start talking. They may be some way off resolving the dispute, but sometimes what they need is an independent ear - like Kate’s - to navigate the conversations and reach a solution. Sometimes you can get a situation where one person is saying one thing, while another person is saying another thing about the same issue - that is when independent investigations run by Kate are useful.

“Conflict is an inevitable part of the human condition. It sounds counter intuitive, but you can make conflict - or the potential for conflict - constructive. Even healthy.”

What does intervention involve?

Intervention does not follow a set pattern, like the more traditional mediation. It can involve negotiation, with Kate as a neutral facilitator. Or, depending on your needs, it can involve Kate investigating a matter then reporting with her objective findings and making recommendations on what to do next. Kate will guide you through a process that is tailored to your organisation’s needs. You are responsible for the outcome, without the need for lawyers.

Intervention can be whenever you need it. It’s particularly useful where:

Politics in the Workplace Consensus building to avoid disputes Life is too short to get stuck in conflict