Featured Blogs Section
Featured Blog Posts
Burying the Hatchet
In some research I did a few years ago, I found that the initial altercation or even a set of circumstances that started tension between many people can begin a trajectory that escalates over time (even if no external conflict occurs).
Break & Repair vs. Preventive Maintenance in Workplace Conflict
Are you waiting until relationships are broken to deal with workplace conflict? Tip: this is not the most effective way to deal with disagreements and problems!
Online Dispute Resolution: A Primer
Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) is not a new concept and has received significant scholarly attention.
How Do You Handle a Pathological Liar at Work?
Have you ever worked with someone who talked about experiences that seemed far-fetched, but you couldn't pin down what was off?
Watch Out for the Non-Verbal Cues!
One of the latest blog posts from the Harvard Negotiation Project notes the importance of understanding body language in negotiations.
Risk Factors for Workplace Interpersonal Conflict: How to Prevent it Before It Begins
Managers might scoff at the amount of time they have to put toward mitigating workplace interpersonal conflict instead of managing productivity, overseeing innovation, attending important meetings, and networking for individual or team growth.
Promises, Promises
The Oscar-nominated film, Marriage Story, by Noah Baumbach, is really a divorce story. It centers on the relationships between Nicole, an actor, her husband, Charlie, a Broadway director, and their eight-year-old son, Henry.
What About Your Furry Friends?
So what happens when an older adult experiences a health crisis that takes them away for a time, or becomes unable to live independently?
My Favorite Resource Featuring Howard Herman
This month, I spoke with Howard Herman, Director of the ADR Program for the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, to learn about his favorite ADR resource.
Keeping the Peace
Judge Danny (as he prefers to be addressed) received the Peacemaker Award and took part in an inspiring conversation that highlighted his commitment to creating peace, resolving conflict and empowering others to do incredible things.
Here’s Your Theory-of-Change Book
Your wait for the Theory-of-Change book is over.
Are You Listening?
One of the first things a mediator in training is taught is to listen, really listen what the parties are saying.
When No One Wants to Talk...
How do you handle talking with other family members about serious issues when they don't think anything is wrong?
How to Calculate and Use BATNAs and Bottom Lines
Everyone talks about knowing one’s BATNA in negotiation and mediation. But that’s a lot easier said than done.
Minding Your Tongue: How to Recover from a Slip and Fail
Whether it is a minor slip of the tongue or an entire foot in the mouth, either can lead to some uncomfortable moments followed by the instinct to explain what was “really meant.”
Theory of Change Symposium – Part 5 and Coming Attractions
This jumbo-size post is the last part in the Theory of Change Symposium.
Are the Flow of Interruptions in the Workday Actually Reducing Mental as Well as Work Flow?
Reports show that numerous interruptions occur throughout the course of most of our workdays.
Overwork and Conflict
Are you feeling angry and put upon at work? Are you having negative interactions and conflict over relatively small matters? Overwork may be the culprit.
“Abusing the Mediation Process”
Two experts in the Milan UIA Mediation Forum addressed “Abuse in the Mediation Process.”
Preparing for that Dreaded Conversation
“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail,” Benjamin Franklin.
10 Mediation Tips for Settling Business Disputes
For practitioners of the law, mediation is a well-known concept that became part of their lives.
Dividing the Burial Plot in Divorce
This article addresses an often overlooked asset in divorce, the burial plot, and the surprising negative consequences of failing to address this asset in the divorce decree.
Connecting With Our Values
“It is not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” Roy Disney
Falling Into Mediation
As I near retirement I have had an opportunity to reflect back onto my amazing career as a mediator, to think about all the changes I have seen in the ADR area and also the people who I have helped.
5 (Perhaps Unexpected) Ways to Reduce Legal Fees When Getting a Divorce
For anyone going through a litigated or high conflict divorce which can be very expensive, Kathleen Wells, lead partner at Wells Family Law shares her top 5 tips for keeping costs down.
Somewhere Between Reasonable and Crazy
The very touching Netflix movie, Marriage Story, provides an unusually realistic depiction of divorce dynamics.
New Study Evaluates the Role of Misconception in Creating Conflict
This new study explores the idea that misconceptions are in fact a cause of conflicts. It is widely accepted that misconceptions are a root cause of conflicts, but it has not been thoroughly explored.
Directive Impulses Run Deep
While mediating, I try to support parties in making their own choices about how they participate in the conversation.
Mediation versus Court in Divorce
“I’ll get my day in court!” ……. “The judge won’t like what you did!” …….. “I’m going to spread your dirt all over the courtroom!”
Dispute Resolution and the Catalyst for Change in Cyprus: A Fellow’s Journey
As mediators and dispute resolution promoters, we are people’s people.
Did You Just Relinquish Control?
This article shows how mediation can be used to intervene in early or advanced stages of conflict.
Gossip Feeds Conflict
Gossip in the office can be very damaging, causing hidden (and sometimes not so hidden) conflicts.
Recent Research Proposes Walking as Creative Conflict Resolution Practice
This article examines how walking may be beneficial to not only an individual, but to multiple people involved in a conflict resolution process.
My Favorite Resource: A Year in Review
I have had such a wonderful time connecting with ADR friends across the country to learn about a wide variety of helpful and informative resources.