Contact: Ian Szlazak
Resolution House Inc.
71 Rideau Terrace
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1M 2A2
E-mail: iszlazak@resolutionhouse.com

Solved

Our Services

Resolution House is the trademark and operating name of Ian C. Szlazak, founder and principal of the firm, later incorporated as Resolution House Inc. Ian has over 2,100 mediations to his credit and is engaged on a regular basis to act as third party in a wide variety of disputes and interventions, including adjudications, arbriations and investigations.

The nature of conflict and disputes calls for flexibility in approach, thinking "outside of the box" and a willingness to try new techniques, particularly where old ones have not fulfilled expectations. Resolution House offers process expertise as well as a high level of substantive knowledge. We prefer to work with you rather than tell you what to do. Our approach is founded upon a number of considerations, including the depth of understanding that you have of your own problems and the knowledge that the extent of your involvement in finding solutions to your problems is directly related to the quality and durability of those solutions. This overall approach, which we cal l"solutioneering" is founded upon respect for the parties and an ethos of listening, clarifying and listening some more in order to identify core interests.

Resolution House is equipped to provide cutting-edge services in a number of areas, often referred to as alternative/appropriate dispute resolution (ADR):

Mediation - assisted negotiation, both for litigious and non-litigious matters. Subject areas cover a wide spectrum, including workplace/employment-related matters, labour-management grievances, benefits disputes, human rights claims, personal injury actions (both arising from motor vehicle accidents and otherwise, such as "slip and falls"), property, life and disability insurance claims, professional negligence actions involving a wide spectrum of professions and occupations (including physicians, lawyers, engineers, architects and other professionals), public authority/police litigation, leasing, contractual, corporate/commercial and collections disputes, franchise-related disputes, construction litigation (including lien claims), trademark problems, family business and estate cases, mediation to stay married, expropriation and environmental claims. The Resolution House Inc. approach is interest-based/facilitative; evaluative services are available under certain conditions (see below). Preventive mediation, designed to head-off looming disputes, has been successfully deployed in business/franchise disputes and other areas; an example is a dis-engagement between business partners, facilitated prior to the eruption of a major dispute.
Investigation and Coaching - investigations of workplace situations, including planning the investigation, interviewing witnesses/participants, document and policy review, evidence analysis and reporting in accordance with client policies is an area where Ian Szlazak draws upon his lengthy background as a prosecutor and legal counsel. A complementary service, though not necessarily offered together, is personal coaching of individuals who have found themselves in conflict situations and who are thought to require assistance in changing their approach to others or to their employer. These services are provided in a highly confidential manner designed to protect the privacy of individuals and minimize the chances of retributive behaviour.
Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE) - offers a non-binding evaluation or opinion on the merits of a dispute, either as a stand-alone process or as a complement to mediation. If the latter, certain preconditions must be satisfied: 1) sufficient information must be provided to allow all issues to be addressed; 2) there must be total consensus as to the desirability for an ENE; and 3) the ENE is only done at the end of the mediation, when it is clear that the mediation has not produced a resolution. Our major areas for ENE are employment/labour-management problems and some corporate-commercial and construction disputes. Requests for ENE are best discussed beforehand, with all parties participating.
Arbitration - offers a final and binding decision, primarily with reference to employment-related and labour-management matters. It can be provided as a stand-alone processor as a complement to mediation, often referred to as med-arb, with the mediation usually being conducted prior to the arbitration. Arbitration in and of itself can be provided in a number of formats and under different procedural rules, best discussed beforehand, with all parties participating. Click here for a descriptive list of arbitration awards
Partnering/Facilitation - partnering, a type of group facilitation, is preventive in orientation. It originated in the construction industry and is primarily utilized there. Resolution House Inc.is one of Canada's foremost practitioners in this cutting-edge field, with over a dozen multi-million dollar projects to its credit. The process has been successfully applied by Resolution House Incbeyond the construction world to organizational/workplace problems. Key components of partnering are the formulation of a customized, party-driven dispute resolution process, as well as a "Charter" or statement of intent under which diverse interests can come together and operate as a team. Ian Szlazak has written on the partnering process. Broader facilitation services also are available, often in conjunction with customized training (see below).
Dispute Resolution (DR) Consulting and Design - drawing upon extensive training and work experience, Resolution House offers strategic negotiating advice, dispute analysis and reporting and dispute resolution systems analysis and design. The hallmarks of these services are a collaborative approach with an engaged client, respectful listening, candour, integrity and confidentiality.
Customized Training and Presentations - while we do not offer on-going generic training, we can work with you to design and deliver situation-specific training often related to other services being performed for clients, including systems design work, facilitations, investigations and coaching. Collaborative training with other qualified service providers is available, particularly where the project/client would benefit.
Ombudservices - customized third party neutral services are available to organizations and corporations on a scheduled or on-call basis, usually in conjunction with existing programs, ordinarily under the aegis of a human resources function.

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