The Ombudsman for Public Education in Washington DC is accepting applications for its first cohort of fellows.  The Ombudsman Fellows will "work directly with families, learn about the education system in DC, learn about conflict resolution, develop creative problem solving skills, and develop expertise on issues including special education, student discipline, truancy, and bullying prevention."  The part-time, year-long…

I knew it would happen: Just a week after all three of my children came down with the flu, I found myself with a fever, chills, and laid up in bed.And, we all know what that means–junk T.V.! Well, I happened to turn on “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” and, as you probably guessed, it’s about divorce. In one episode, the main character and her husband decided to go through divorce mediation. However, after mentioning this to a friend, who shows up but the friend’s…

Customers and traders have much more balanced relationship now than in the past, due to the role of social media and customer reviews. The key role of online social media forces traders to actively engage in partner dialogue with their customers. Customers will…

"What's Happening in Conflict Resolution" is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more. Check it out each week and view past versions [HERE].…

Taking sides in a conflict, no matter what it is, is the easiest part.  Moving beyond it is hard.Why did I start thinking about this today? Because the Nevada legislature is a mere 28 days away from commencement. And on Saturday, I read a great article in the New York Times entitled:…

For mediators who see it as their job to get a deal done, it's unthinkable to mediate for friends, especially if the mediator is closer to one party than the other.  But mediators who commit to being supportive of both parties find it much easier to work with friends.  Hey, if you wouldn't treat your friends like mediation clients, maybe you aren't treating your clients right! Read the article…

INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS

In terms of the Section 23(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 –“(2) Every worker has the right to…

It’s 2015!!!

I love the thought of a New Year. I can’t help but think of all the “new” things associated with it: new possibilities, new adventures, and new challenges.I also love thinking of the New Year as a time to be “out with the old.” I have clients who are committed to ending dysfunctional relationships on Dec. 31, and I know others who are ready to say…

We negotiate every single day over important and routine requests. Spouses negotiate over household and financial duties, co-workers negotiate time off, job tasks, promotions and salaries. When a perceived disagreement or dispute erupts, know how to negotiate…

The Texas Conflict Coach® Blog Talk Radio program announces our Retail Services Conflict series.  The following episodes are held every Tuesday night from 5:00-5:30 pm PST/7:00-7:30 pm CST/8:00-8:30 pm EST.

To participate, go to the designated link for each program or call-in live at 347-324-3591.

Top 3 Webinars from 2014

An Introduction to REAL Conflict Coaching 

Neuropsychology of ODR…

OK, I have a confession to make … I am a “but” head. I use the word “but” way too often in my conversations so trying to eliminate it from my vocabulary is my resolution for this new year.

Why is “BUT” a bad word??

“But” is one of those words that immediately causes the hair on your neck to bristle. It’s a cliff to something…

With its ability to make our lives easier, mobile technology (mTech…

Merry Christmas!

Yes, the holidays are notorious for CREATING conflict (think family get-togethers, financial stress, and unrealistic expectations), but, this year, I thought it would be a good idea to focus on how the holidays can actually RESOLVE the past year’s conflicts.

1. Attitude Change: What better time of year than the holidays for an attitude change.…

I’d like to wish all of you the very best of health and happiness for the coming year in this final ConflictMastery™ Quest(ions) blog for 2014.

If you make New Year’s resolutions, won’t you also consider the “conflict resolutions” below?

Warmest regards to you and yours, and may your 2015 be peaceful and wonderful in every way.

Thank you very much to those who gave me new resolution ideas last year. You will find most of them here:

1. This year, I will…

There has been an increased emphasis on teamwork and collaboration in the delivery of health services over the past decade. Much of this has been due to research that indicates the need for good communication and coordination in order to provide safe and effective care to…

It’s the first Christmas of World War I. The year is 1914 – 100 years ago.

Here is how British soldier Frank Richards described it:

On Christmas morning we stuck up a board with “Merry Christmas” on it. The enemy has stuck up a similar one … Two of our men then threw their equipment off and jumped on the parapet with…

So, you may be wondering about the title of this post–who the heck is Rapoport and what is his intervention?

Well, let me tell you!

Anatol Rapoport was an early 20th century mathematical psychologist who came up with the idea that, during conflict, people will see the other party as dis-similar to them and tend to see themselves as having all the positive history, traits, and qualities. At the same time, people will see the other person as having…

It may be hard to imagine the word conflict being qualified by the adjective “sweet”. Yet, think of the times that goodness comes from reconciling differences that had been having a negative impact on a relationship. Think, too, of the relief experienced after expressing unspoken truths and the outcome of doing so is positive. Think of the importance of finding how we inadvertently contributed to someone's upset and have the chance to make it 'right' . Think of mending the breakdown in our…

Mediators are often torn between their desire to get the parties to a result and their intention to support party self-determination.  Those two directions are mutually incompatible.  This blog post explores 3 common mediation interventions that undermine party self-determination.  You can read the post here.