You are in Control of the Process
You choose the business mediator that you want to work with and will inform them of the conflict issues that need addressing. All mediation sessions are scheduled with your involvement and you are in control of the costs of the process. You have predictability with the business mediation process which you certainly won’t have with the legal system.
Your costs will be less than with Litigation
A business mediator is a facilitator and a coach as well. You will know upfront what the charges are and the likely cost of each session. There will need to be a document drawn up detailing the agreements and there will be a cost to this as well.
When litigation is involved you are very unlikely to be in control of the costs. Lawyers will have to make important decisions on your behalf which is certainly not ideal. Court cases can run on and on and the legal fees increase as a result.
Business Mediation is likely to take a lot less time
When you use business mediation for your conflict management then you are likely to get your dispute resolved a lot more quickly than by using the legal system. You can control the number of sessions that are required and when they happen. Anything can happen in the court process to delay things. Lawyer fees will be significantly higher than business mediator fees, and it is in a lawyer’s interest to make the process as long as possible so that their billable hours can stack up.
Your Dispute is Confidential
The last thing that you want with a workplace conflict is news of this to be in the public domain. This can severely impact customer confidence, and you may find customer’s leaving without explanation.
With the business mediation process your conflict management is all kept confidential. Internal problems need to remain internal, so that your goodwill and reputation are preserved. If you choose litigation to manage conflict then anything stated in court goes on public record, and this can have a high cost going forward.
