AIM Qualifications Level 4 Award

In addition to my work as a management consultant, trainer, coach  and author  I am sometimes asked to provide mediation services.

Much of my work in this area is referred to me by professional services firms (lawyers, accountants and surveyors) and professionals in human resource management. I mediate differences, difficulties, disagreements and conflict between partners, directors, employees and colleagues.

I qualified as an Interpersonal Mediator in 2021. I am accredited with UK Mediation  and this Level 4 qualification is recognised by AIM.

Please call or email me for an informal and confidential chat and an indication of fees.

About mediation

The mediation process in which I have been trained comprises the following stages and takes place within a day. However, I assess the individuals, the situation, the issues and the organisation to agree with the client the most appropriate approach in each case.

  • Stage 1 – Initial contact with party one (9am)
  • Stage 2 – Initial contact with party two (1030am)
  • Stage 3 – Preparing to work on the dispute (12pm)
  • Stage 4 – Face-to-face session (2pm)
  • Stage 5 – Exploring and working on the issues (245pm)
  • Stage 6 – Building agreements (330pm)
  • Stage 7 – Closure and follow up (4pm)

This is a review of an introductory book for those seeking an understanding of mediation work (although it uses a slightly different approach) Mediation skills and strategies – A practical guide by Tony Whatling (kimtasso.com) (October 2020)

This is an eight-minute video introduction to my qualifications, credentials, clients, work and experience.

Why Kim Tasso for mediation?

  • I am not a lawyer and therefore unlikely to present a conflict situation with regards to your clients. In fact, often lawyers refer their clients to me knowing that I have a good awareness of the range of situations where a lawyer’s expertise is required (I have had legal clients across all disciplines since 1990) – either as part of resolving the issue or to document the agreement(s) reached.
  • I have decades of experience in business – particularly in partnership environments – so have credibility with a wide range of people and businesses and a broad appreciation of how similar issues have been resolved elsewhere. This also means I can be more creative in identifying options and possible solutions for clients to consider.
  • I have qualifications in both business and in psychology. From a psychology degree and qualifications in psychometrics, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), professional coach-mentoring and even counselling. I am also a qualified Mental Health First Aider (MHFA). This helps significantly where strong emotions are involved.
  • I became an accredited mediator with UK Mediation  in 2021.

Examples of my mediation work

Confidentiality prevents me from sharing precise details but the following are indicative of real assignments:

  • A lawyer asked me to assist with one of his clients. The two family members who owned a substantial private business had fallen out and their relationship was negatively impacting the performance of the senior management team and threatening the stability of the business. A series of confidential meetings was arranged with the family members separately. Over a short period of time I developed rapport and trust and found a way to work through the personal and business disagreements. The business was referred back to the lawyer for some corporate legal interventions.
  • Two team members had allowed a personal dispute to escalate. It resulted in a lack of communication between them which was impacting the effectiveness of some critical projects. Other team members were becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the tension between the individuals. I worked with the two team members – initially separately and then together – to find a way in which they could work more collaboratively together going forward.
  • I was asked by a practice manager to assist with a disagreement between seven equity partners of a real estate business. We had several conversations as a group and on a one-to-one basis. Assessments revealed that there were both personality and style clashes and – underlying these – a disagreement about the future of the practice. An amicable and mutually-agreeable departure of one partner was agreed with no impact on the firm’s reputation, client satisfaction or staff morale.
  • The owner of a business was becoming increasingly frustrated by the attitude and style of one of her senior team leaders who was a critical part of the succession plan. There had been initially a lack of communication and then some heated exchanges – which were damaging for both individuals and others in the firm. I worked with both parties to help increase mutual understanding and to find ways that the key issues could be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. The relationship between the owner and team leader improved significantly.
  • A senior member of a not-for-profit organisation requested assistance in resolving a growing distance between members of the management team. My intervention included a workshop to identify shared aims and values and to consider alternative suggestions for working through the areas of disagreement. A temporary improvement in roles, terms and relationships was achieved to allow time for a longer-term solution to be discussed and implemented.

Typically, I work alone but I’m happy to discuss working as part of a team or to support dual mediations.

Resources for Conflict management

Conflict is an inevitable aspect of human interaction and relationships. And conflict management is an emotional intelligence (EQ) competencies.

The following resources may help you understand and manage conflict:

Research on leadership and emotional intelligence (EQ) (kimtasso.com) September 2021
Managing client complaints – Process, anger and apologies (kimtasso.com) June 2021
Dealing with “difficult” people – Nine strategies for dealing with arrogance (kimtasso.com) June 2021
Never split the difference: Negotiating by Chris Voss (kimtasso.com) May 2021
Book review – Persuasion: The art of influencing people by James Borg (kimtasso.com) March 2021
Resources to help you deal with difficult interactions (kimtasso.com) February 2021
Active Listening (Video) (kimtasso.com) November 2020
Business relationships – Using the drama triangle to resolve conflict (kimtasso.com) September 2020
How the parent, adult, child (PAC) model helps with difficult interactions (kimtasso.com) September 2020
Soft skills – Dealing with difficult conversations (kimtasso.com) September 2020
DACRIE – A model to enhance business relationships (kimtasso.com) April 2019
Team management issues – Managing up, boundaries and broken relationships (kimtasso.com) February 2019
Assertiveness skills – getting what you want and saying “No” (kimtasso.com) May 2017
leader’s guide to negotiation – book review (kimtasso.com) September 2016
Stakeholder management and buy-in session (kimtasso.com) August 2016
Seven tips for conflict management and negotiation (kimtasso.com) May 2016
Psychology and business communication: Intro to transactional analysis (kimtasso.com) January 2015
10 practical tips for fee and price negotiations – Kim Tasso June 2014
Nine ideas for better conflict management (kimtasso.com) July 2013
Two big guns of communication – face time and reframing (kimtasso.com) March 2013
Creating meaning from conflict (Conflict management) (kimtasso.com) April 2012
How do I deal with difficult partners? – Kim Tasso July 2007

AIM Qualifications Level 4 Award
UK Mediation Accredited Mediator