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MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, & FAMILY MEDIATON

often requires less time and money than fighting in court

BUSINESS & WORKPLACE CONFLICT CONSULTING

protect and grow morale, productivity, and your bottom line

seasoned insight for churches and those representing them

CHURCH CONFLICT ENGAGEMENT

insight, strategy and coaching for success in the face of key challenges

CRISIS COMMUNICATION & REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

HOME2023-02-07T17:02:39-06:00

“All it takes to transform a frustrating dead-end into a productive solution, is willingness and a little bit of creativity!”

Unresolved conflict can damage relationships, finances, job security, and even hope for the future. And law suits can be costly and time-consuming for everyone involved.

 

If you’re ready to stop paying high prices to have someone else solve your disagreements, give Lionboar a call. We’ll work to help you, and others involved in your conflict to find your own, best solution. And we can often do it at a fraction of the cost, and in much less time than fighting in court.

About Us.

OUR COMPANY

Located in beautiful, Southeastern Wisconsin, Lionboar provides Civil and Family Mediation services and Organizational Conflict Consulting. In short, we provide support to navigate your conflict in the best way possible. Whether you’re an individual, or you represent a business, a non-profit, a corporate entity, or a church or other religious organization, we can help.

OUR FOUNDER

As a qualified neutral, both for civil and family cases under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice, and a member of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR)-Wisconsin, Torrey Zimmerman provides both private and court-connected mediation for individuals and organizations of all types and sizes.

As an Organizational Conflict Consultant, Torrey works with businesses feeling the negative impact of unresolved conflict on morale, productivity, and the bottom line. He provides workplace mediation, group facilitation, conflict system design, and conflict training for Human Resource professionals. Torrey also provides optics/reputation consulting and crisis communication for organizations impacted by negative public perception, and coaching for communicators struggling with adversarial audiences.

Torrey has worked in manufacturing, the service industry, criminal justice, advertising and communications, corporate management, and large church ministry. His education, broad resume, and ability to listen for understanding allow him to interpret to the needs of virtually any organization. He has been mediating since 2009, and has also consulted for business and provided transitional leadership for non-profit organizations.

Torrey’s considerable education and broad resume give him first-hand insight into many different environments, allowing him to understand the needs of virtually any client. After working his way through high school and college in both the Construction and Hospitality industries, he spent several years in municipal law enforcement, followed by five years in advertising and corporate communications in both agency and multi-national corporate settings. In 2004, Torrey answered a call to the pastorate. After completing his Seminary training (MDiv, 2007), he answered a pastoral call to a church of 900 average weekly attendees in Anchorage, Alaska–a church that subsequently grew to 1,300 attendees during his time there. In 2012, Torrey answered a call to a church in south-central Minnesota. While there, he led the staff, coordinated operations (i.e. human resources, facility care and security, information technology, and budget drafting and oversight), oversaw all age-and-stage ministries, worked with other pastoral staff to provide care for the congregation, and provided leadership as a church board member and elder.

Every sector in which he has worked has enjoyed the benefits of Torrey’s experience. He brings the uncanny ability to quickly evaluate critical situations, identify and prioritize the steps needed to bring stability, and to facilitate confident decision-making in the midst of uncertainty. He brings strong analytical abilities, highly-attuned observation skills, deep interpersonal insight, and the seasoned experience and emotional intelligence necessary to decode even the most complex situations.

Torrey is also a gifted communicator, driven to understand his audience with great breadth and depth. This allows him to engineer and deliver even difficult messaging in a manner that builds listener trust, and turns audience members into supportive stakeholders.

EDUCATION

  • B.A. – Criminal Justice, University of Wisconsin – Platteville
  • MDiv (Master of Divinity), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
  • M.S. – Negotiation & Dispute Resolution, The Werner Institute, Creighton University School of Law

ADDITIONAL TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS

  • Rule 114 Qualified Neutral, Minnesota Courts
  • Certified Divorce and Family Mediation Training: The Transformative Approach
  • Peacemaker Ministries Conflict Coaching & Mediation
  • Prepare/Enrich Marriage and Pre-marriage Certified Facilitator (since 2015)

Online Dispute Resolution.

ONLINE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

It is our experience that conflict is often best-solved when those involved can meet face-to-face. Traditionally, that meant sitting around the same table.
That said, there are times that being in the same room may not be practical. Perhaps the participants live too far apart. Or maybe, health problems prevent them from traveling. Most recently, concerns about the COVID-19 virus have prevented close contact.
But it’s still possible to meet “face-to-face” using Online Dispute Resolution. Through the use of technology like video-conferencing, anyone with a computer (with camera and microphone) or a smart phone can participate in a mediation or facilitation from the comfort of their own home. We can introduce you to the technology and help you to get it set up and working properly. Your comfort is our concern!
To learn more bout how Lionboar uses technology and Online Dispute Resolution, complete and submit our contact form. We’d love to answer your questions, and to help you to determine if Online Dispute Resolution is a good fit for your particular needs.

Frequently Asked Questions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Below, we’ve answered some of our potential clients’ most frequently asked questions. If you have additional inquiries, be sure to contact us.
  • What is Mediation? Mediation is simply a facilitated conversation. In other words, when two or more people are having a difficult time communicating without strong emotions getting in the way, a Mediator can provide a setting where everyone can speak their mind, and can be heard by everyone else in the room. Mediation creates a safe space for those involved in a disagreement to be honest, open, and to try to work together so that everyone gets at least some of what they need and want.
  • Is Lionboar a law firm? No, Lionboar, LLC is a Mediation and Conflict Consulting firm. We work to facilitate conversations and problem solving, when parties are struggling with a wide variety of challenges. Of course, we always recommend that individuals and organizations seek legal counsel when they believe that to be in their best interest. But we think that there’s a much better chance of arriving at mutually-agreeable solutions, in many cases, when the parties are empowered to be active participants in their resolution process.
  • What can Lionboar do for my business? Lionboar can provide a wide range of services for business clients. Check out our Services page to learn more about them. According to *one survey cited on Inc. Magazine’s website, businesses in America lose nearly $359 billion (that’s right, BILLION) to conflict every year. The average employee spends nearly 3 hours per week dealing with conflict issues, rather than productive work. And the negative vibe created by unresolved conflict in the workplace contributes to absenteeism and excessive use of “sick days.” If you’d like to prevent unresolved conflict from destroying morale in your business, or if you need help dealing with a dispute that’s already reared its ugly head, why not contact us? We’d love to help you recover your share of that $359 billion!

*http://www.inc.com/graham-winfrey/the-shocking-cost-of-workplace-conflicts.html

  • What is Mediation? Mediation is simply a facilitated conversation. Arguments and frustration can lead the conflicted to cut off communication with one another. Often, they feel as though they aren’t being heard and their concerns aren’t being validated. We work to help the parties to hear and understand each other. And we often find that, when people are able to set aside their differences long enough to get their concerns and interests out in the open, they find a new ability to negotiate solutions that are mutually beneficial. They experience a much higher degree of satisfaction when they are actively involved in a process that impacts them, rather than having someone they don’t know (e.g. judges, juries, etc.) making decisions for them.
  • When is Mediation appropriate? Mediation can be employed in just about any non-criminal situation, whenever two or more parties are in a dispute that would be handled by the civil court system. This includes business disputes, family matters, organizational conflict, employer/employee disputes, and a host of others. One key to the success of Mediation is the parties’ willingness to engage in the process. No one can be forced to participate in mediation. But most who choose to take advantage of it find it to be quite satisfying.
  • How is Mediation different from Litigation in the courts? Mediation empowers the participants, while litigation recognizes the authority of the court. Mediation allows the parties to work together, making it more likely that they will arrive at mutually-beneficial solutions. In litigation, the parties run the risk that a less desirable outcome will be imposed upon them. Mediation often takes less time than litigation, thereby reducing the stress on the parties. Litigation may take months to complete, and the parties often feel even more hostile toward one another at the end of the process than when they began. In fact, in an increasing number of states, the courts are actively recommending mediation, or some other form of dispute resolution, before judges will hear civil cases.
  • Isn’t Mediation expensive? There are fees associated with Mediation. But mediated cases are often resolved in much less time than litigated cases, and as such, may cost significantly less!

Our Services.

SERVICES

What can Lionboar do for you? We custom-tailor our services to meet the specific needs of each client. Click one or all below for more information.
MARRIAGE MEDIATION

Every marriage experiences conflict. It’s the natural result of two different people working to create a common life together. There will be disagreements, and it takes a lot of effort and commitment to resolve differences constructively.

Sometimes, couples DO need intensive counseling or therapy to deal with issues that trouble their marriage. But often, they just need a little help with an issue or two. Sometimes, they may just need help seeing each others’ perspective, or a little help having a more constructive conversation.

While it isn’t counseling or therapy, Marriage Mediation with Lionboar provides a safe, supportive place to hear each other. And once communication improves and emotions stop flaring, many find it easier to be cooperative and considerate.

DIVORCE & FAMILY MEDIATION

Few, if any, enter into marriage ever considering a future break-up. But the simple reality is that there are times when people choose to end their marriages.

When couples choose to divorce, that decision has wide-ranging effects on housing, finance, transportation, family, and future security. And angry, contentious divorces only serve to take a terrible toll on everyone involved.

Whether you’ve already begun the divorce process with the help of attorneys and the courts, or if you’ve not yet reached that point, Divorce & Family Mediation can help you to communicate your needs and wants, and to remain empowered to make your own decisions. Lionboar will provide a safe, neutral environment where all parties will feel fully-supported. We’ll help you to hear each other, and to work together to make decisions if you choose to do so.

ELDERCARE ISSUES

As family members age, decisions about their care become more and more important. And making those decisions can be challenging. Love for family members ensures that discussions about what’s best for them are emotionally-charged and passionate.

Lionboar can provide a supportive environment that encourages open, honest discussion. We can help everyone involved in Eldercare decision-making to be heard and understood so that the best decisions can be made with confidence.

BUSINESS OPTICS, REPUTATION, or PUBLIC PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT

Every organization struggles, at some point, with how it’s viewed by others. Even the most generous and well-intentioned company can find its reputation tarnished, either through its own mistakes, a simple misunderstanding, or an intentional attack by a competitor or opponent.

In those crisis moments, you’ve got to communicate in a way that will win your audience over. And you may only get one chance!

BUSINESS to BUSINESS MEDIATION

When your business relationships get strained, conflict can erupt. Contract disputes, lawsuits, or arguments with competitors can reduce profits, tarnish your company’s public image, and inhibit your ability to attract and retain excellent workers.

When your business is struggling to resolve conflict constructively, Lionboar can help. We can provide analysis that clarifies the issues, facilitation that strengthens and supports accurate communication, and Mediation that inspires creative option-building. Whatever your need, we’re here for you.

CONFLICT CONSULTING

Conflict within a business is inevitable. We provide support that allows you to approach conflict with confidence, knowing that you have a plan to deal competently and prudently—both with existing and potential, future conflict.

Lionboar can enter into workplace conflict, and conduct a site survey to figure out what’s at the heart of it. Often, we can facilitate conversations that get those involved to open up in ways they might be afraid to in front of company management. We can lead collaborative processes that produce lasting solutions. And we can make recommendations and design systems that will help your business to clarify communication and to handle workplace conflict more effectively in the future. We can even come in after the fact, as needed, to mediate future disputes.

We can also assist your business with “messaging,” or communicating about the conflict you’re working through. Often, when people lack information, they simply write their own narrative. And in many cases, those narratives are inaccurate. Circulation of the wrong stories about your business can have dire consequences. Lionboar can help you to communicate, both to those within your organization and outside of it, in ways that help your company to put its best foot forward.

ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING

Lionboar provides training in conflict resolution, collaboration, and facilitation to any organization type. Classes of varying lengths and sizes can be customized to meet your specific needs, and to address the unique environmental variables of any employee group. We also offer customized training for Human Resource professionals who wish to enhance their ability to promote healthy conflict engagement.

THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Unresolved conflict within an organization, between two or more of its members, can destroy morale. And it’s nearly impossible for an organization’s leadership to appear unbiased when dealing with internal conflict.

Sometimes, bringing in a neutral, third-party—one who has nothing to gain regardless of how a dispute is resolved, can remove suspicion and pave the way for smoother, longer-lasting resolution. And that leaves your organization’s leadership free to do what it was meant to do—lead! Lionboar can facilitate group discussions, mediate disputes, provide conflict coaching to ease future disputes, and advocate for profitable cooperation throughout your organization.

CONFLICT ENGAGEMENT AND UNITY BUILDING

Churches, like other kinds of organizations, are made up of people—people who come to the table with their own ideas, opinions, beliefs, and values. Tempers can flare and conversations may become heated. Conflict might arise around an issue, a tradition, a belief, a leader or leaders, goals, values, the church operating budget, style of worship music, or even something as seemingly innocent as the decor in the church building.

Church conflict is unique. So, when communication begins to break down amidst disharmony and disunity, it’s wise to seek help from someone who understands the deep and intricate complexities of the church. Lionboar’s team has the experience necessary to understand your needs, and to help you to take wise and prudent next steps. We’ve worked in lay ministry, church board leadership, and vocational pastoral ministry. In fact, our company’s principal and founder holds a Master of Divinity from one of America’s top Evangelical seminaries, and has provided lay, pastoral, elder, and board leadership for medium and large-size churches for nearly 25 years.

We can help you to evaluate the issues, and to have productive conversations. We can help you to deal with all of the elephants in the room, and develop a plan to heal and reconcile. We can help you to ask and answer all the difficult but important questions necessary to bring resolution and healing. We offer specialized Mediation for churches and religious organizations.

Don’t wait until irreversible damage is done. Contact Us right away for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation.

CRISIS COMMUNICATION

At Lionboar, we build our Crisis Communication services on the belief that every crisis represents an opportunity. Whether crisis originates within your organization, or without, Lionboar can help you to analyze its nature and potential impact. We’ll help you to gather the information necessary to manage difficult situations, craft meaningful messaging that will shape public opinion, and plan beyond the crisis! We understand the nuance of communication that will help you to restore order, salvage your important relationships, and maximize your potential and your position.

AUDIENCE & OPPOSITION RESEARCH

Audiences can be mystifying. Sometimes, it seems that no matter what you say or how you say it, they just don’t get it.

Lionboar can help you to understand your audience—the first step toward ensuring they’ll hear your message as you intend it. We can provide research and analysis that will make your audience far less mysterious. We can construct and lead focus groups to find out what your listeners value. We can also conduct thorough opposition research that reveals the nature, goals, and practices of those who oppose your organization. And we can help you to see pivotal issues through the eyes of those with whom you need to build trust, allowing you to communicate in a way that is both compelling and convincing.

EXECUTIVE & COMMUNICATOR COACHING

Possessing the right mix of skills and aptitudes can greatly enhance the ability of any executive or communicator to convey an organization’s message or story to others. And failing to have that mix can have unintended consequences.

Lionboar can help you to see yourself as others see you. And we can help you to see others accurately, in a way that helps you to communicate most effectively with them. We can help you to build greater emotional intelligence—the ability to anticipate how your words and actions will impact others. We can help you to interpret their words, as well as non-verbal expressions and micro-expressions, giving you priceless insight into what they really think. And with trust as your greatest ally, we can help you learn to carry yourself with confidence and care, allowing your audience to trust your message, as they learn to trust you.

From social research to coaching your organization’s public communicators; from micro-expression analysis to focus group facilitation; from message and speech writing to helping you manage your organization’s optics and reputation; we can help position you for the win!

What our clients are saying…

“As a Personnel Director I needed help in resolving a difficult staff conflict. Torrey provided neutral mediation that allowed both parties to hear each other and to move forward together.”

Director of Personnel, an international missions agency

“Once in our office communication had broken down, relationships were severed, complicated and dysfunctional…it was a dire situation that if not addressed it could (and I believe would) have done permanent damage to our whole team. Fortunately, Torrey was available to help us forge through a very difficult and broken situation.”

Office Manager, a regional nonprofit

“Lionboar brought the character, experience, and training necessary to help us create a safe place for our customers to voice their concerns, and for us to respond to them.”

Public Relations, a manufacturing firm

Contact Us…

How can we help you?

Please fill out the contact form below and click “SUBMIT.” And we’ll be in touch shortly.
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