Neutral Chairing

Businesses, boards and senior management teams are frequently faced with situations where they  benefit from the involvement of an independent and impartial third party to facilitate progress.

Whether it’s because of stalemate in reaching a consensus or simply because the appointed Chair needs to play an active role in the debate, a neutral chair is invaluable in enabling discussions, problem-solving, building relationships within the team and managing difficulties or conflict.

 

Using essential mediation skills a neutral chair will reduce the risk of conflict becoming destructive and can provide a moderating influence where factional positions have developed. the better way service offers a means of facilitating communication in a wide range of circumstances that require both a sensitive and a pragmatic approach.

FICM Experts have a unique skill-set combining extensive mediator practice, professional background and industry knowledge.

The benefits of having a neutral chairman include the ability to reduce the risk of overt confrontation, to provide a moderating influence and to provide summaries of points made and positions reached. MCN has unparalleled experience in facilitating dialogue in a diverse range of demanding situations. Our consultants have a unique skill-set combining extensive mediator practice, professional background and industry knowledge.

Today more and more businesses and boards are using our service. The value of having a neutral chair to assist with a difficult meeting of a board of directors, partners, department members or committee members in an organisation is often under-estimated. Inviting an external neutral chair to run such a meeting adds credibility to the occasion, minimizes concerns about its being dominated by anyone, and frees everyone to make a full contribution.

The aim of neutral chairing may be to:

  • Enable finality – a decision, action plan or agreement
  • Deliberately plan for open-ended dialogue, where the process allows voices to be heard and issues raised, enables the next steps to be taken or devises a framework for future action
  • Be the sole process used or to combine with other dispute resolution techniques such as mediation, early neutral evaluation or adjudication.