Rahim Shamji: Mediating change in 2021 and beyond

In the last 18 months, there has been a significant rise in disputes due to the pandemic.

Businesses were faced with the task of switching to remote mediation, which presented new challenges for mediators all over the world.

While mediation has been carried out remotely before – under some circumstances and by some practitioners – the majority of mediators who practised face-to-face had to pivot.

The pandemic heightened the need for an alternative resolution process, an even greater resilience, and the adaption of new communication styles.

Last year, while writing my book Human Touch Leadership, I spoke with Rahim Shamji, a leading mediator and mediation trainer who has been practising since 2005. I wanted to get the measure of the industry and find out what is really happening.

Rahim is a barrister and the founder of ADR ODR International Limited, so to say he has experience is an understatement. He is one of the foremost mediators in the world and holds a wealth of knowledge when it comes to this ever-evolving discipline.

As a visionary leader driven by a real sense of purpose, he always approaches his work with an unrivalled level of neutrality that earns trust, enabling him to practice mediation to the highest possible standard, maintaining accuracy and confidentiality at all times.

Rahim’s business has grown substantially throughout the pandemic and is currently represented in 33 countries, across 5 continents. During 2020 and beyond, he continued to provide training with international accreditations, driving best practices in mediation through his mission is to create a more peaceful world.

He believes that he has become disruptive in the way the market is looking at dispute resolution, saying that the market needs to rethink the entire process. As a changemaker and visionary leader, and in using his advocacy skills, he is looking at other businesses to make the world a better place by driving the necessary change.

“Each one of us has the engine that embraces others to drive the change.” Rahim Shamji

Personally, he states that he has a clear and well-defined vision of his future, which comes as no surprise. Rahim often undertakes complex multi-party cases that require a range of disciplines, so he’s no stranger to having his finger on the pulse.

Like me, he is also interested in cross-cultural issues that arise during the mediation process. It’s something that I regularly touch upon in my writing and training as it has become an incredibly important factor in today’s multi-cultural world, which Rahim embraces wholeheartedly.

All mediators will have gone through a tough time of late. Not only do they deal with their own lives, but the often stressful lives of others, too. When it comes to dealing with this, Rahim said: “It is important to care about the conflict, evaluate the conflict to see how much it takes up of your personal space. It is about dealing with it but working on oneself to not take it too personally.”

At the end of our interview, Rahim gave me some tips to pass on. Of those tips, this one stood out as particularly prescient.

“Don't listen to others who are making sound bites, follow your gut on what you think is going to happen. The world of work has changed so performance is now centred around your schedule.”

Find Rahim Shamji on Linkedin, or visit ADR ODR International.