OK … so, I’m an ‘A’ type personality.

I can’t remember the last time I approached a project with the idea that I was only going to get half of it done. Why bother if you don’t go the distance?

And yet, that’s exactly the advice I gave someone the other day.

A colleague who knows I am a trained mediator asked me to refer him to a divorce mediator. Let’s name him Harry.

Harry is hoping that he and his wife can come to an amicable agreement and file a joint petition for divorce.

As we talked about what to expect from the mediation process, Harry confided that he was concerned that his wife had retained an attorney and he felt that things were escalating for her.

Harry also said that he thought that there were many things that they could probably agree on and a handful of issues that were likely to be contentious. He was worried that his chances for a mediated divorce were quickly diminishing.

That’s when I suggested that half a loaf might be better than none.

What do I mean?

Harry said that he and his wife were still talking so all communications were not through the attorney. She had expressed concern about how much her lawyer was already costing her.

So, my thought was reach out to her and suggest that they try mediation – even if they expected to resolve only some issues together  and leave the rest for a legal battle.

And who knows … when they start talking, they might even find more common ground that either of them had anticipated.

Jeanette