Conflict, discord and controversy exist in nearly every organization; hidden or not-so-hidden conflicts often emerge and business results suffer. When leadership is in conflict, staff performance dwindles as they wait for clear, united cues or direction. Signal Tree's inventive processes are custom designed and include: 

• Group problem solving

• Culture management

• Mediation

Group problem solving

Organization boards and top staff often experience conflict among key leaders, lackluster performance, or inability to accomplish goals. Board members sometimes feel frustrated. Often their hands are tied regarding the resolution of important operating matters.

Teams have become a way of personal and business life. When a tough goal is identified, it is common to say, "Let's pull a couple of people together to solve it." On how many teams do you participate? How would you rate their effectiveness?

These teams are replacing established forms of hierarchy. "Bureaucracy is giving way to adhocracy," declared Tom Peters. "The command and control structure is giving way to problem-solving structures."

Hierarchies are flattening. New organizations are like networks of independent contractors, constantly forming and reforming themselves into teams or task forces. The difference between an old-fashioned task force and a high-performance work team comes from the willingness of members to subordinate their own personal goals and agendas to those of the team or organization.

Signal Tree possesses skills, tools, and expertise to analyze situations that team or board members see or sense, but are not empowered to change. Once an analysis is conducted, Signal Tree works with appropriate stakeholders to identify and implement solutions.

Culture Management

Business cultures can be shaped, reshaped, and managed. Organizations often have tremendous knowledge and experience, and hope to accomplish great things.

The inability to constructively express divergent viewpoints and resolve differences is one of the things that can get in the way of accomplishing greatness. Signal Tree's expertise is in assisting organizations to shape their culture to:

1. work effectively together even when people hold strong opinions;

2. constructively capitalize on differences;

3. focus emotional energy on problems, not people; and

4. reach the results and greatness imagined.

If an organization’s leaders don't inspire a positive culture, human nature takes over and shapes the culture. A culture that is not proactively shaped may or may not be conducive to the overall business results sought. In the past, founders often instilled personal values, ethics, vision, and meaning into the organization’s culture. In today's world, founders often spend less time shaping their organization's culture.

We can assess your current culture and assist in strengthening and shaping a culture which will enable you to excel in the 21^st century. Building the right culture sets the organization's tone and climate. Performance improvement, accountability, and ownership of results can be instilled into the culture.

Mediation

Guided problem solving or structured decision making in the form of mediation is a little used skill. Two or more people in conflict or potential conflict can learn to self-mediate or engage an impartial third party to assist achieving less expensive, more effective decisions.

Mediation is much less adversarial than litigation, and different from arbitration.  With mediation, the decision makers maintain the power over their decision making. A mediator does not decide the outcome. A mediator simply aids the parties in defining their OWN resolution. 

It is difficult for parties to "lose" in mediation because each party retains the right to accept or reject any proposal. Each party also retains the right to have facts and potential understandings professionally scrutinized. Though there is a certain amount of "give and take" in mediation, no one is ever asked to compromise their core values, best interests or key beliefs.

Over 85% of Signal Tree's mediation clients reach full accord. 

What Does Mediation Feel Like?

It's never easy to explore tough issues in new ways so first time participants feel awkward as mediation begins. But they relax as the process unfolds, especially as they discover that their concerns are addressed but not argued. Mediation is civil and business-like. In the end, people feel a well-deserved sense of accomplishment - as well as some exhaustion. As one business owner said to her partners, "I can't believe that we've settled all the issues...  We all deserve a very long weekend!" 

What Are Your Rights In Signal Tree's Mediation?

• You have the right to understand the mediation process prior to beginning your efforts.

• You have the right to be treated with respect and dignity.

• You have the right to privacy and appropriate confidentiality.

• You have the right to expect, accompanied by your obligation to provide, full and accurate disclosure of pertinent information, and you have the right to have appraisers, evaluators, attorneys or investigators scrutinize such disclosures.

• You have the right to the impartiality of your mediator(s).

• You have the right to set the agenda and to discuss, or not to discuss, any concern.

• You have the right to know that, if either party is perceived by a mediator to be attempting to take unfair advantage of the other, the concern will be raised and that mediation may be suspended or terminated as a result.

• You have the right to a mutual, signed pledge that no new litigation will be initiated as mediation proceeds.

• You retain the right to withdraw from mediation at any time, for any reason.

• You have the right to obtain all the professional consultation you may need in order to make well-informed decisions.

• You retain your legal rights to challenge any understanding framed on partial, misleading or false information.

• You have the right to know, before beginning, your mediator's fee.

• You retain your full authority to determine your own outcome.

 *Compare These Rights to Your Rights in Litigation*

Mediators:

• Insure civility as well as offer insight and expertise,

• Guide the process but do not control the outcome,

• Point out probable consequences and develop workable options,

• Stimulate creative thinking,

• Diffuse emotionalism,

• Balance power and share information,

• Ask questions and otherwise help people move to resolution.

Signal Tree's Mediation Services

For Business:

• Human Relations and Employment

• Workplace Conflict

• Partnership Issues

• Compensation and Benefits

• Employee Relations

• Consultation and Leadership Issues

• Consumer Complaints

• Mediation and Conflict Management Trainings

For Families:

• Marriage Mediation

• Divorce, Dissolution and Post Divorce (Domestic Relations)

• Child Custody and Child Support

• Companionship Schedules and Parenting Plans

• Adult and Senior Care (Probate)

• Parent / Teen

• Juvenile

• Family and Divorce Mediation Training (52 Hours)

For Organizations, Schools & Community Groups:

• Board & Staff Relations

• Consumer Issues and Community Relations

• Peer Mediation Programming

• Neighborhood Disputes

• Mediation Training

• Conflict Resolution Seminars

Conflict Resolution Options

The Signal Tree Conflict Volcano reflects conflict's intensity as well as six of the most common ways that disputes are resolved. Signal Tree helps people and organizations move back down the Conflict Volcano toward processes that cost less and offer greater control and creativity.
[Click here to learn more about the Conflict Volcano.]

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