Find Mediators Near You:

Conflict Haikus

From Dan Dana’s poetry collection at MediationWorks.com

Hidden Common Ground

intractable feud
beneath positions’ hard crust
interests underlie

either-or, win-lose—
myth of impasse flourishes
false certainty gels

foe plays the partner
dance of conflict, pas de deux
“opponent”disarmed

explore why, not what
unblind shrouded driving needs
unlock assumed cuffs

cost of conflict, down
relationship’s value, up…
think outside the box

 

 

Mediation

my career complete
I moved on, hertask remains
firmly planted seed

life's opaque aim called
four decades’ unceased pursuit
fit my inner self

face-to-face talking
issue-focused, without stop
itsprimary task

simpler than most think
nearly magic in effect
just do it, be brave

in fresh loam she thrives
mediationworks dot com
her afterlife bides

                        author

Daniel Dana

Holding the Ph.D. in psychology, Dan Dana served for several years as a professor of organizational behavior at the University of Hartford (Connecticut) Graduate School of Business, and has held faculty appointments at Syracuse University and several other institutions. (A former student once called him "Doctor Conflict," and the moniker stuck!) Dan… MORE >

Featured Members

ad
View all

Read these next

Category

e-Mediation: A New Stage of Ethics

The development of mediation as a social practice deserves to be considered as a profession in itself, not only by the scope posing on social issues, but also for the...

By Maria Eugenia Sole
Category

Have Empathy like Eleanor (and be Perceptive like Princess Diana)

IndisputablyMy next examples of negotiation skills come straight from the pandemic–and by that I mean watching television for hours during the pandemic!   Again, let me note that these are examples,...

By Andrea Schneider
Category

Keeping Cool While Driving On Hot Highways

"Road Warriors: Aggressive Drivers Turn Freeways Into Free-For-Alls," read the headline of an Associated Press article in the Chicago Tribune several years ago. "Armed with everything from firearms to Perrier...

By Elisabeth Seaman, Jack Hamilton
×