Business Profile; Embark House

Having been reared with 16 other siblings it actually makes sense to see how Gary Kiernan of Embark House ended up in a career in Mediation!!

Patience and calm were obviously survival skills needed in that household growing up, but skills also that have since proved hugely beneficial throughout Gary’s life, and skills necessary to have achieved so much in his career choices thus far.  

Embark House, founded by Gary Kiernan, offers mediation services; the areas covered are Marital Separation, Employment Relationships, Commercial/ Contractual Relationships, Multi Party and Community. A range of training programmes are also provided such as responding to Bullying and Harassment, Communicating for Change Management, Conflict Management Skills, Advocacy Training and so on.  

An explanation of his business to an 8 year old is; in mediation Gary meets with people who are having a hard time making a decision with another person. Gary helps them to understand why they may be having a hard time planning or making decisions. He helps them to look at what they need to do or need to understand before they can make decisions and then helps them make the decisions which they previously could not. This means that the other people affected by their decisions can also be involved in a good way in saying what they would like to happen and this means that they can also be helped to come out of this more contented and understanding of what decisions have been made.Gary also meets with people who work together but something has happened that they are not getting along. This could be causing a lot of problems not only for the people who are not getting on but also for the person who is paying their wage. He meets with both people on their own first and then together. He helps them both give their side of the story and at the end of this he is able to help them so they can keep working together happier and also be able to do the work better than when they were not getting on.  

Where did the inspiration come from to take the step to open this business? Gary says having sold a successful business in 2007 where he spent the previous 7 years mostly behind a desk as its director, Gary was ready for something different, something where he could grow the business side as well as go back to working within his main trade,  that of Social Worker. Embark House offers this. Also having previously been approached by people who knew that Gary was a social worker and were experiencing difficulties in their lives like separation etc., Gary became aware that there was no mediation service available with the exception of the family mediation services in Waterford which had a long waiting list.   

Gary started working from an office in his home since 2008 and moved to his new offices in Dungarvan in March of this year. Embark House is located at 41 Grattan Square, Dungarvan (Over Murrays Pharmacy).  Despite having opened an office, Gary works throughout Ireland and travels  particularly to company offices or neutral venues when carrying out workplace and commercial mediation.  Gary’s colleague Ann in on hand in his absence to organise meetings and training.  

Having no regrets about starting a business mid recession Gary explains; Mediation is always relevant regardless of economic environment. It does not impose solutions rather it looks for the solutions to come from the people themselves. Why? Because whatever decisions that people make they will have a better chance of being able to commit  if they themselves have helped design them. People who separate for example, will know better than anyone else what their resources are, if they have children what will work best for them, having lived with each other for whatever amount of time what will or will not work etc. However at the time when a person separates they are going through a lot of emotion and possible hurt etc that causes them difficulty in being able to make the kind of decisions that have to be made. Mediators are trained to assist both sides in times of conflict, anxiety, emotional upset etc to reaching agreements on the way forward. Gary will do this with both sides sitting down over a period of about 6 to 8 sessions. He will encourage both sides to discuss any questions or concerns that may arise with their solicitor or accountant as they come up. Together at the end, each side will have an agreement that they can give to their solicitor who will put it in to a legally binding agreement. This process, because it does not involve multiple meetings with solicitors or going to court, is both cheaper and will have far a less detrimental effect on both the people separating as well as any children they may have.

The same is true for companies that decided to place Mediation within their procedures as its preferred method of dispute resolution. Issues can be dealt with in real time, consequently reducing loss of production and saving money. Preserving relationships is the hall mark of mediation as most times people will continue to need it to be able to work together just as people who separate will still need to parent.  

A word of advice though; One must be careful when choosing a mediator. The profession is unregulated and a lot of people will call themselves mediators without proper training or professional qualifications. Gary Kiernan is both a professionally qualified social worker as well as Mediator. Gary trained in social work in UCC and in Mediation in NUI Maynooth, and is also a certified member of the Mediators Institute of Ireland which is the professional body for regulation of mediators. As a professional social worker and mediator he must continually improve his skills in order to be registered in each of the professions. To this end research and analysis of the work he does and reflections on the outcomes etc are a normal part of his work.   Working in mediation and conflict resolution as well as his social work experience has enabled Gary to build up a separate specialism in anger management. Gary works with both adults and children in enabling them to identify the source of their anger management problem and to be able to control this side of their behaviour.  

The essential ongoing support services provided by Embark House to companies is training in Mediation skills for managers, managing and understanding conflict as well as Workplace mediation service.  Also he offers commercial mediation. Judge Peter Kelly of the Commercial High Court has said “I am wholly enthusiastic about it (Mediation) because I have seen the most intractable cases brought to a successful conclusion”. Whether it is in relation to fulfilment of contracts or business partnerships experiencing difficulties, mediation offers a way forward that allows solutions to emerge and decisions be made. To families a suite of services from family mediation to anger management are available. This includes separation, mediation, elder mediation (when a parent has been diagnosed with dementia and the family need to come together to work as a family in support of each other), Debt Mediation, when a third person is needed to assist in resolving a way  forward with the banks etc.  

Gary Kiernan has plans for the future;   Gary wants to establish mediation as the way forward in resolving all kinds of disputes and as a tool to working together to achieve what is best for all who need it.  He wishes to attract other professionals like counsellors and therapists who work with people and turn Embark House into a centre of excellence offering a full range of therapeutic services for children, adults and families. His vision is to attract like minded people who want to set up a centre of excellence that puts the needs of people first. To attract people who are always bettering themselves in their chosen profession and be able to offer to Waterford a first class professional service.            

Gary’s advice to fellow entrepreneurs thinking of starting up their own business is to plan, talk to people and go for it! Think of the small things and grow from there. Having now set up two businesses Gary expresses the most rewarding aspects of running his own business is being responsible for its success and being able to go on your own incentive. The Satchel Paige quote; “Work like you don't need the money,” comes to mind when Gary suggests that his philosophy is  not to only think of making money. This is essential, but must be mixed with a belief of service. Those little apples will grow again and what goes around comes around.  

The best advice Gary received was unless you can improve on the silence don’t say anything. So true and yet sometimes so difficult for so many to observe! Advice from Gary’s  mother;  the Saint who reared 17 children always advocated,  “always treat people with respect, even when they don’t deserve it”. 

Pardon the pun but if you think this is something you need to embark on for your business, your family or your personal circumstance, contact Embark House (over Murray’s chemist). 41 Grattan Square, Dungarvan. Tel;  058 20758 email and  www.embarkhouse.ie  for more information on the  services offered.   

Embark House is a new member to the Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber. For further information about the above business, or generally about the Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber, please contact telephone number 058 45054 or email;