Open Letter to Steve Marsh of Adrr.com
Thanks, Steve, for putting together a year end list of ADR resources. This time of year everyone is busy, so you may not have had a free moment to explore my sites, WorkWellTogether.com or Mediation Mensch, fully.
So, I thought I’d share some interesting points about each with you and your readers.
WorkWellTogether.com is one of the first websites devoted to providing private Ombuds services and conflict resolution tools to the small business market in a meaningful way. The site is full of articles and special reports to help others learn what we already know: it’s better to resolve issues. The message is spreading because WWT was featured in Inc. magazine this past November. As my friend, Sarah, says, ‘that’s the big time’. I’m very proud to be able to share my knowledge and experience in such an assessable way.
As for Mediation Mensch, well, it’s also one of the first blogs dedicated to the business of ADR. The ADR community is filled with some of the finest people I’ve ever met. As a group, we’re well-intentioned but we won’t be able to serve anyone unless we understand how to run the business side. Yes, it’s awkward and maybe a bit embarrassing, but absolutely necessary if the profession is to grow and be prosperous.
You made note of the pop-up on my site. I hope you noticed several important things about it. One, it offers a free mini-course. I believe that knowledge is power and I’m happy to share mine for free. Second, the pop up is very discreet. It comes up once only and it’s a way for me to practice what I preach in Mediation Mensch.
One more thing. I read and fully support other ADR bloggers such as Diane Levin’s blog, Online Guide to Mediation. Her thoughtful commentary and research over the past year (an eternity in blog time) are valuable to us all. You’re absolutely right that our numbers are increasing, and isn’t wonderful that there’s room for all sorts of perspectives.
I hope you’ll print this letter in your next issue as a way of encouraging dialogue and understanding others, both tenets of mediation. I plan to print this in my blog, too.
Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors.
Best, Dina
posted by Dina Lynch, ADRPracticeBuilder.com @ 2:49 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
You're absolutely right that members of the ADR community need to think like business people in order to succeed. Instead of embracing public relations and marketing, many of my colleagues in the ADR and legal fields believed that the nobility and value of their work alone would pave the way to success. It took law firms years to recognize the importance of "getting the word out," but increasingly more are now hiring marketing and business professionals to help them grow. It's time that ADR practitioners become unapologetically assertive about promoting their services.
Andrea, you took the words right out of my mouth.
Bringing peace into the world is noble, however, what does it matter if our services aren't used or valued. We need to educate our marketplaces.
Robert Gerrish of Flying Solo wrote a good article about the difference between marketing and educating. I'll post about it soon.
Best, Dina
Hmm, just found this open letter.
Since I'm probably discontinuing the newsletter, and may take adrr.com down, it is a bit late to include it in the next newsletter, but now I've seen it.
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