A few hours of HR guidance, a half-day mediation and a workplace investigation can each be the right answer. They cost very different amounts, take different amounts of time and ask different things of you. This planner helps you work out which one you're likely to need, what it will cost and what to have ready before the first call.
1. Name the problem before you pick the process
Most matters that reach an owner or manager are one of four kinds:
- A working relationship that has stalled. Two people, or a whole team, who have stopped managing to work together. Usually mediation, sometimes coaching first.
- A complaint about someone's conduct. Bullying, harassment, misconduct or a specific incident someone wants looked into. Usually your complaints process, and often an independent investigation before anyone sits down together.
- A gap in policy or process. The same friction keeps coming back whoever is involved. Usually a policy review.
- A leader who needs support. Someone keeps getting stuck in hard conversations. Usually coaching or HR guidance.
Not sure which one you have? The two-minute Conflict Check sorts it out.
Check this first
A performance plan in place, a formal investigation already under way, or any physical altercation changes the process. Mediation usually isn't the first step in those cases, so say so at the start.
2. What each option costs
These are our own prices, all ex GST, with nothing added later.
| Option | Price | Usually right when |
|---|---|---|
| Triage call | Freeabout 10 minutes | You're not sure yet what kind of problem it is, or who should handle it. |
| Half-day mediation | $2,9003.5-hour session | Two people who have to keep working together have stopped managing to. |
| Full-day mediation | $4,9007-hour session | Business partners, a whole team, or a matter with several issues tangled together. |
| Conflict coaching for leaders | $1,2904 one-hour sessions and a plan | A leader keeps getting stuck in the same kind of conflict. |
| HR guidance and policy review | $290an hour | You'll handle it yourself, fairly, and want someone experienced beside you. |
| Workplace investigation | Quotedafter scoping | A formal complaint where the facts need to be established before anything else. |
All prices exclude GST. More than two people involved? We quote, because complexity varies. As a guide, allow about $700 for each extra participant. No retainers and no lock-in contracts.
A management decision costs nothing from us at all. If the facts are clear and it's yours to decide, decide it. We'll say so if that's where triage lands. Full pricing and what's included.
3. Put a number on what it's already costing
Conflict that's left alone rarely stays cheap. You don't need precision here, just a rough figure to set beside the prices above. Over the last month:
- How many hours a week have you, or a manager, spent smoothing it over?
- Has anyone asked to move, mentioned leaving, or taken more leave than usual?
- Is work being redone, delayed or routed around the people involved?
- Are customers, suppliers or the rest of the team noticing?
Multiply the hours by what that time is worth, and add what it would cost to replace one person if they left. Then set that figure beside the price of the process that fits.
4. What to have ready before the first call
Whoever you speak to, these answers make the first conversation quicker and the advice better:
- Your role, and who the people involved report to.
- Who is involved, by role. Names aren't needed at this stage.
- How long it has been going on, and what has already been tried.
- What a good outcome looks like. It rarely means friends; usually it means a working relationship.
- Anything formal: a written complaint, a performance plan, an investigation or an altercation.
- Timing, and whether video works for everyone or in person would genuinely help.
5. Five questions to ask any provider
- Who will actually run it, and what are their accreditation and experience?
- Have they, or anyone in their firm, advised anyone involved? If so, they can't be the neutral.
- What does the business receive at the end, and what stays confidential?
- What exactly is included in the price, and what would cost extra?
- What happens if one person won't take part?
The planner, on one page
- Name the problem before you pick the process.
- Check whether anything formal is already under way.
- Compare the price of each option with the cost of leaving it.
- Write down who is involved, by role, and how long it has been going on.
- Decide what a good outcome looks like for you.
- Ask who will actually run it, and whether they have advised anyone involved.
- Ask what the business receives at the end.
When you're ready, a free triage call takes about ten minutes with the AI Concierge, by voice or online chat, and we come back to you with the right process, the right person and the fee.
This planner is general information, not legal advice. If a matter could lead to dismissal or a legal claim, get employment law advice.
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