Archives

Mediator Education Program

Listen Your Way Through Impasse

Impasse is a normal part of conflict. Typically it is not the result of negative personalities or bad behavior. Sometimes people only recognize their conflict when they reach impasse. Could their NO become YES to a mutually satisfactory agreement?

read more

Note to lawyers: People involved in lawsuits prefer mediation

“People involved in civil lawsuits prefer mediation to nonbinding arbitration”. That finding by a law professor is no surprise to me, nor probably to many other mediators. In my opinion this is valuable information for lawyers seeking to provide the legal services most valuable to their clients.

read more

Thoughts for the New Year

May the close of 2013 be a season of glad traditions and happy memories for you – and may your New Year be filled with contentment and peace.
In the spirit of the season here’s a little story which I hope you enjoy.
An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life…

read more

Was That an Apology ?!

Whether at a personal level or as a leader of an organization, apology is one of the most powerful ways to defuse and move on from a mistake or a negative situation. Apologizing well is a quality of good leadership, effective conflict management and just plain old-fashioned good manners.
Apology was prominent in the news recently when Toronto Mayor, Rob Ford, apologized on several occasions about his own behavior.

read more

A Perspective on Truth and Conflict

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
When we find ourselves in a conflict, it is even more important to remember that we see the world from our own eyes. The challenge for those of us trying to resolve conflict is to set aside our own picture while we take the time to listen and understand the other person’s “truth”.

read more

Fear of conflict in family business

The single biggest issue facing family business is succession. One of the biggest fears of the founder generation is conflict. What can a business owner do to help manage the conflict or potential conflict when considering the transition of their business within the family?

read more

What is a BATNA and why do I need one?

The more easily you can walk away, the better you are able to influence the outcome of a negotiation. At a recent workshop I presented on the subject of Business Negotiation, one of the participants planned to test her negotiation skills in a performance/ salary...

read more

Archives

Mediator Education Program