How do you approach your Collaborative teammates when you feel professional alienation is taking place? Last week on the My Collaborative Team Friday happy hour, the following situation arose. One of our regular attendees told us about a situation in which the team is having difficulty scheduling team meetings at a date and time that works for all four team members. Our attendee felt as if they had been the most flexible in the group when it comes to scheduling. Finally, the other three team members were able to agree on a date and time, however that time did not work for the fourth team member. Instead of continuing to work to find a time that would work for the entire team, the three team members decided to move forward at the agreed upon time, without their fourth teammate. 

IACP Ethical Standard 3.4 requires all Collaborative professionals on the team to manage the Process effectively, efficiently and in a manner that advances the clients’ common goal of reaching resolution.  We further have an obligation to inform other professionals of facts or circumstances that are likely to impair the Process.  

Most on the call felt the professional being left out needed to step up and bring the issue to the professional team.  The Ethical Standards suggest that doing that is the professional’s obligation.

How would you approach this situation if you were the professional that was being alienated from the team? Is the team working in the best interest of the clients by not continuing to delay this team meeting or are they complicating the process and doing the parties a disservice? Tell us what you think in the comments and join our happy hour every Friday at 4:30pm EDT to join this discussion and many more!