About us

Principal: Mary Harrow

Occupation:

Mediator & Negotiator

Status:

AAMINZ

Categories:

Commercial, Education, Employment, Health, Maori Issues, Relationship, Sport, Technology, Family, ACC, Cultural, Hospitality, Graphic Design.

Professional Experience:

9 years mediation, negotiation advocate and negotiation coach, relationship and group decision-making facilitator. Experience in a wide range of areas including workplace conflict, group meetings and training, education, design and technology, hospitality industry, business to business, Maori and cross cultural and sporting organisations.

Family disputes - couples' relationship conflicts, parenting plan negotiations, relationship property divisions.

Labour Law Advisor and HR Consultant - general workplace.

Career Summary:

Mediator, Dispute Resolution Services Ltd
Negotiator, Private Mediator, Labour Law Advisor and Landlord.
Family Court Mediator 2006.
Self employed Human Resources Consultant to a tertiary college with large Maori component for 2 years.
12 years Corporate and Wedding Catering - own business.
2 years Restaurateur - successfully built up the business and sold it.
Property development.
13 years Sales Manager of a large market garden managing large numbers of staff.
General nursing.

Training 2006:

AMINZ Conference on Cultural diversity
AMINZ Mediators' Duties Seminar
Ken Cloke Seminar on Emotions in Conflict
Business Mediation, La Trobe University, Melbourne
LEADR Mediators' Legal Responsibilities
Psychology of Mediation and Negotiation by Dr Julie Turchin, University of California

Training (previous years):

Negotiation and Advanced Negotiation Certificates Harvard Law School, Boston Advanced Dispute Resolution with Bernie Mayer (Colorado CDR), LEADR Sydney, Bond University Australia & LEADR NZ.

Personal Summary:

Mother of five tremendously successful adult children. Main interests are people's communication dynamics, health and the environment. Enjoy tramping, walking and reading.

Speciality Areas:

ACC, Commercial, Cultural, Education, Employment, Family, Graphic Design, Health, Hospitality, Maori Issues, Relationship, Sport, Technology.

Detail:

It was after successfully building up a business and selling it in 1990 that I sought out, through education and research, the best ways to influence workers and other negotiating partners. This is the knowledge and skill I share with you.

Many years of managing people and businesses gives me an empathy with why diversity can be viewed as something that slows down the primary focus of a business rather than being the valuable opportunity that it is.

I bring you a wide range of experience and education together with a low key, strong, persistent personality to help you direct the energy of your group towards success.


Work experience.
  • Since June 2001 I have worked as a negotiator and facilitator with workplace, property, custody, tenancy and neighbourhood issues. My negotiation and mediation training improves the effectiveness of my human resources work by widening the range of approaches I use to deal with diverse attitudes and ideas.

    In Oct 2003 I assisted with mediation coaching for LEADR (Leading Edge Alternative Disputes Resolution). In feedback from five participating lawyers, four rated my coaching as very good and one excellent.

    At the LEADR workshop in June 2001 I demonstrated

    “good performance – especially on one to one work in private sessions. Some lovely question/role reversals. Good interventions. Dealt with feeling issues well.” (Assessment report available.)

  • From 1999 to 2001 as a human resources consultant, I was contracted to plan, develop and carry out a performance evaluation system for staff at a national college that contained a large Maori component. This included motivating people to change and overcome issues.

    "Mary has implemented this evaluation process with a remarkable degree of success which has been invaluable for both the College and the tutors. She was able to quickly grasp and effectively understand the College 'culture'. ... I have found Mary to be a person with a low-key, non-confrontational manner. This has been a most important quality in enabling her to deal effectively with sensitive issues when working with staff. She has worked in a way that has engendered the respect and trust of the staff. Mary also has the ability to listen and reflect and at the same time, is able to see the situation quite objectively. She is a very clear thinker and can effectively summarise complex situations. I have found that at all times Mary demonstrates very high professional standards and I would highly recommend her.” (Full reference available).

    This led to further studies to increase my skills.

  • My work advising on employment law increases my appreciation and experience of managing the many diverse conflict situations that confront people. Working alongside many local top employment solicitors enables me to keep up with current practical interpretations of the labour law.
  • Many years of managing people and businesses incuding being a restaurateur, sales manager for a large market garden, catering business owner, property developer and general nurse gives me empathy with both employers and employees.


I have had an in-depth insight into the different perspectives of people from diverse situations for example:
Information technology, computer programming, graphic art, microbiology, organic and conventional farming, civil and structural engineering, accounting, building/carpentry, service maintenance, factory work, Maori, European and Chinese cultures and physical and mental handicaps.


Relevant Education

  • In June 2004 I attended the Harvard Law School's Summer School on advanced negotiation. Harvard's Negotiation Project has been recognised as the world leader for negotiation and mediation since it was developed to deal with concerns over U.S.-Soviet relations in the 1980's. I fine-tuned my negotiating skills during the two weeks of intense workshops.
  • Advanced mediation training through Bond University and LEADR in 2002 and 2003 enables me to adapt the basic negotiation processes to suit individual circumstances and uses.
  • LEADR mediation training gives me proven processes to follow, enabling me to put all of life’s experiences into being most a effective relationship specialist.
  • A Certificate of Proficiency in labour law, with its emphasis on the different historical and political forces, provides an overview of the social and legal environment and the issues effecting people without the dividing influence that general litigation exerts.
  • A Human Resources Diploma covering six business management papers gives me an understanding and appreciation of the dynamics and emotions of diversity especially in the workplace decision-making process.
  • My continuous ongoing education gives me a wide perspective to draw empathy, understanding and negotiation options from.
  • Training as a general nurse equips me well to deal with people under stress.

Thus my education, work and life experience has given me a wealth of skills to effectively convert the energy of diverse perspectives into the success of a common goal.