Notes on a Committee
Ben Giaretta FCIArb CArb
Dispute resolution lawyer, arbitrator, law firm partner and non-executive director. Follow me for posts about arbitration, mediation, litigation, adjudication, expert determination and more.
Earlier this year, I did a series of posts entitled, “Notes for my successor”, marking the end of my time as the Chair of the London Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. I’m now coming to the end of my time on CIArb Branch Committees, because when I start my term as a CIArb Trustee on 1 January I am required to stand down from all other posts within the Institute.
I first joined a Branch Committee in 2010, when I became a member of the CIArb Singapore Branch Committee. I joined the CIArb London Branch Committee in 2017 after I returned to the UK. This is the collection of a series of posts about what I’ve learned from my time on Branch Committees.
1. Value the group and the differences within it
In an organisation such as the CIArb, people are united by a common interest (in dispute resolution) but come to it from a wide range of backgrounds. One might think that a particular type of person would join a committee but, in my experience, people have a variety of reasons for putting themselves forward, and there’s usually a whole host of different views and personalities round the table.
There have been people on committees that I’ve disagreed with. There’ve been some I’ve thought were misguided, there’ve been a few (very few) that I’ve disliked (and many more that I’ve liked). But I’ve always thought that committees as groups have been valuable and worthwhile.
It’s a fallacy to think a group discussion will only go one way, and if your own opinion survives untouched it’s likely you’ve not taken part properly in the debate. A topic can shift this way and that, and go off in different directions, and maybe the decision that is reached at the end is not the best one possible.
But if there has been engagement among the group and a proper airing of the issues, it’s likely the group has reached the best decision it can on the particular point; and overall, over time, it’s likely the group will be heading in the right direction.
As an individual, we give a group the best chance of succeeding by trusting in it and in its process.
2. Embrace change
The terms of all committee members are fixed, but start and finish at different times. Also, people come and go depending on what happens elsewhere. Everything flows, as the philosopher once said.
This means that if there is some arrangement you don’t appreciate, it’s likely it will shift in time. Equally, if there’s a contribution from someone you particularly value, try to capture it in some form so that it persists after they’ve gone.
And we ourselves change. This year, we sit in one seat, the next year we are on the other side of the table with a different role and responsibility. We never stop until we leave the room for good.
“I was, I am, I will be”: we live in all three states simultaneously. That’s why it’s so hard to encapsulate the life of an individual or of a group. But knowing things change helps us and the group to thrive.
3. Be the cog in the machine
We can all at times feel our contribution is undervalued and unappreciated. We think we do not receive the respect our efforts deserve. And it’s true that often proper thanks are not given for commitment and diligence, and actions of others might thoughtlessly cut across our work.
But a cog drives the machine. It is only by commitment that an organisation can succeed. It is only through diligence that an organisation can thrive. We should take pride from the value we have created, and from the results of our labours.
And good leaders do acknowledge hard work. Communication is often all that is lacking: we need to make sure our work is apparent, and leaders need to make sure their thanks are heard. Communication is what ensures the engine runs smoothly.
4. Look far and wide
We are responsible for what is immediately before us, but that should not shackle our ambition. If we look beyond our current concerns we should find new ideas, new ways of doing things, new solutions.
Some of this may come from other parts of the organisation around the world: watching how others do the same tasks that we face can help us to look at things differently.
Some of this may come from other organisations: each one has different patterns, processes and behaviours that might teach us how to improve our own.
Some may come from unexpected sources, from different parts of our lives and different relations. If we remain open to change we can be inspired by many things we encounter, inspired to think of new avenues or new approaches to old problems.
Organisations too easily slide into learned behaviours. They become like a train fixed to its tracks. We should constantly question whether this is really the best way of doing things. We should look at alternatives and be ready to change.
5. Bring the members of the Branch together.
This was the final part of my advice to Branch Chairs earlier this year, and it is equally true for Branch Committee members.
Even though we may focus in our daily work on cases and evidence, we are not islands disconnected from others. We prosper through our connections. We hear of new opportunities, we learn about new developments, we change our thinking and behaviour through conversations.
And we connect through the efforts of others. We need spaces in which to mingle, and contexts in which to meet. The people who undertake the task of organising those spaces and contexts perform a vital service for their communities.
We are social animals, and we need connections to achieve our better selves: we become better ADR practitioners, better dispute resolvers, better people.
Pictures by Jess Bailey, Michal Parzuchowskj, Lina Castaneda, Mike Hindle, Todd Trapani and Ave Calvar on Unsplash.
Independent Arbitrator, Mediator, Adjudicator, Conciliator and Litigator.
2 年That's great. Congratulations and best wishes. Thanks for sharing.
Managing Director (Advisory, Disputes & Quantum) EMEA | Expert, Mediator and Arbitrator | Chair CIC Liability Panel | Co-founder Vice Chair ciarb Pakistan Branch | Co-founder Muslims in Rail CIC.
2 年Thank you Ben Giaretta C.Arb, it is great to see people pulling together for common objectives in the branch committee but it is also a very challenging task to gel people together.
Dispute Resolution Practitioner (Arbitrator, Litigator, Mediator), Chartered Secretary, Insolvency Practitioner and Notary Public
2 年These are the realities of every leader and these notes brings to light the consciousness of divergent views that could make or break a group. Well done Ben Giaretta C.Arb