UNIFORM NOVEMBER

“Sometimes people need a mediator with the relevant experience  to get the most out of a project and those involved" FMH

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Conflict is normal in society; some conflicts grow in complexity, they develop to a point where mediation help is needed. The most cost-effective and pro-active point to engage an objective advisory resource is during the planning stages. An excellent time to identify potential points of contention, way before friction is felt.

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Often, the practice of mediation is conducted within an emotionally entangled environment. A provocative context full of raw feelings, misinformation and negative history. A frightening, demanding and confusing position from which contracted professionals, clients and colleagues suffer and progress stagnates due to a fractured trust and strained communications.

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All parties involved in such upheaval need support, the situation needs an independent, impartial third party with the relevant experiences and mindset from which to engage, understand and acknowledge all sides of the impasse or aggravation.

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Complicated and emotional entanglements that viewed and listened to correctly can often bring an array of options to the surface. If we give careful attention to those options, we can often create new ways to look at old patterns of discourse frustration.

Mediation provides a valuable tool to build a trusted platform from which to positively explore options and opinions before the situation becomes more costly and damaging to all those involved.

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Frazer MacDonald Hay is a specialist in peace and conflict, working for the UN and other humanitarian organisations supporting divided and vulnerable communities in areas such as Iraq, Mexico, Israel and South East Asia.

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He has had a long architectural career working on projects such as the new Scottish Parliament in the UK and The Zonnestraal Monument in Hilversum, Netherlands. Frazer has worked with the Ministry of Education, the British Council and the British Chambers of Commerce, as well as local action community start-up groups.  Clients range from Barclays bank (designing and delivering workshops for project management teams) to an NGO in Indonesia (designing methods of assimilation with the Orang Suku Laut people).

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Frazer has a great deal of experience in stakeholder management and communication, client design processes, project management and negotiation. He has represented clients managing large project developments in the UK and South East Asia and is experienced in the challenges of budget, design and management in national and international contexts.

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Frazer Macdonald Hay offers objective advice in three key areas:

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Place:  Frazer understands that there is nothing that we do in life, that’s un-placed. And therefore, places, the memories and emotions they orchestrate are critical in how people conduct themselves in business and in society.

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“If the conflict is related to place, an interior, exterior, yours or another’s these complications can have a wide variety of consequences whether personal or economic these issues will have far-reaching effects. They have such meaning, often they can be inherited through the generations, they can impact other businesses, mental health and lead to complications in relationships and futures. They can ruin reputations, be used to reinforce power dynamics, amplify or weaponise personality or cultural clashes. 'Place' is such a fundamental aspect of human life that conflict around it has split families, project teams and even whole countries, therefore, its essential to manage it carefully especially when it becomes an aspect of dispute”.  

 

Project: Frazer recognises that a project of any sort is a fickle and complex combination of controllable and uncontrollable factors. The perception, interpretation and expectations of a project are often misunderstood or taken for granted throughout its various stages. Everyone will have a different experience or understanding of the information involved. A normal condition, considering we all filter information differently, based on our past learning and environment. This means that even from the very start, projects will be borne from a nuanced and fragile idea which will receive serious strain through iteration and scrutiny by those involved, whether client, service provider or end-user.  Therefore, all projects are vulnerable to misinterpretation, misunderstanding and miscommunication and often require internal mediation to reunite the project concept, implementation or collaboration  

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People: Places are paid for, designed, built, experienced by people, they also impact people in so many ways. Governments, designers and project developers invest a great deal of time and money on communication and negotiation to ensure friction is kept to the minimum. Despite the investment, there are times of tension between those involved. Unfortunately, some result in long term disputes ending in costly HR grievances, governmental involvement or legal action. Therefore, it may make sound business and social sense to address these situations through mediation and mitigating potential for awkward measures and implication of formal dispute escalation.

Whether a place imbued with work, leisure, wellbeing or cultural value the people involved requiring the upmost consideration and support, as do the places they occupy.