When lawmakers reach an impasse, Democracy Suffers

The Founders of our country told us that we should have more perfect union. They did not say we have to agree on everything. Public policy disputes have the potential of polarizing communities with the affect of delaying important decisions on vital issues of public policy, often resulting in diluted policies or no action at all.

While policy makers may agree on what the problem is, there is often uncertainty as to how to solve it.  Issues such as selecting a new Speaker in Congress or even passing road funding in Michigan lack a process for problem solving and lacks the leadership of those involved to stand up and seek help in resolving complex public policy disputes. 

Facilitation can help resolve high-profile policy disputes and help find resolution through controversy and clarity amidst chaos. To assist governments in resolving disputes by and between each other, the disputants need a trusted third party neutral who is knowledgeable about the issues and can design the process for resolution, while being sensitive to the politics of the issue.

The facilitator would design and facilitate meetings to make sure all viewpoints are considered and help each stakeholder sort through information to support sound decisions.

Great leadership requires finding common ground among diverse interests. Trained facilitators can create the system and process around an issue to help the stakeholders problem solve and move complex multi-party and often politically partisan issues forward. It is time those whom we elect step up and step forward and seek help in flagging the problem and addressing the issue. 

A facilitator can and will bring the right people together to make good decisions, under difficult situations. They don’t take sides or make decisions -- They simply create the path for people to move beyond their differences, join together, and discover a new way forward.

Perhaps its too soft of a way to govern, but given the lack of consensus and increased political posturing, with tonight's debate and the Presidential election well underway, over the next twelve months it is only going to get worse. 

It's time to resolve our differences so we can all move forward. 

Michigan's Bumpy Road Needs Compromise

Public policy disputes have the potential of polarizing communities with the affect of delaying important decisions on vital issues of public policy, often resulting in diluted policies or no action at all. As a result, policy makers tend to avoid controversial issues or postpone crucial decisions hoping to avoid conflict.   Facilitation helps resolves some of the high-profile policy disputes and finds resolution through controversy and clarity amidst chaos. To assist governments in resolving disputes by and between each other, the disputants need a trusted third party neutral who is knowledgeable about the issues and the process, while being sensitive to the politics of the issue.

It is time our leaders lead us forward, not back. This starts by reframing the problems plaguing our state or nation in a way that each side could identify with. Once we find a connection to an issue, we are most likely to work hard at finding a resolution. In doing so it is hard to look beyond the politics, but as long as we can agree to concepts and work to make small steps towards building or rebuilding trust in finding a common agenda, our lawmakers can eventually find common ground and those difficult issues, the ones that kept getting put off or “re-authorized,” will move off the agenda so we can focus on the next great challenge.

Great leadership requires finding common ground among diverse interests.  The Michigan Legislature needs experienced facilitators to create systems and processes around an issue to help the stakeholders problem-solve and move complex multi-party and often political partisan issues forward.

With the election behind us our legislators need to now find a common ground, build trust and identify potential solutions to agree on and move forward with. Conflict among lawmakers and regulators is inevitable. However, carefully structured dialogues, mediated or facilitated by skilled third-party neutrals could offer a more effective and durable method to resolve conflicts and build consensus around controversial and often complex public policy issues.

We elected our leaders to represent a common mission not a party platform. Yet in legislating, most often it is politics that trump sound public policy. It is time to shift how government decisions are made and for our elected leaders to find a new way forward while seeking consensus instead of controversy. That is the path to smooth roads ahead.