I was unable to find the derivation of the expression flip your lid, but I have heard it used to describe an excessively angry reaction. In recent years I have heard the term apoplectic used when referring to extreme rage and for me, the meaning of these two expressions are similar. The visual of flip your lid however, conjures up an interesting image of the top of the head blowing open – presumably with fury propelling it. Perhaps, the expression symbolizes the emotional…

Managing inter-communal conflict and violence is critical to national and international security in today's world. As societies are becoming more diverse, many more countries are facing ethnic, religious, cultural and social conflicts. The globalization of such conflicts is also increasing. Join me as I speak with Mari Fitzduff, the Program Director of the Coexistence and Conflict program at The Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis…

In our latest blog entry, available here, Janet Mueller describes her participation at an International Mediation Conference in Slovenia.

"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].…

Modelling collaboration in your process design

In this adversarial world of power politics, collaborative peace-making processes are emerging as providing surprisingly sustainable outcomes. Unlike power negotiations,...Read more

Last Monday, I introduced the idea of “communication stoppers” – those phrases that we use that discourage others from communicating with us.

Did you have a chance to see if you were using them too? I know I did and it’s amazing how they slip in to my conversations.

Here is the second half of the list with some examples.

•…

How do you know when it’s time to cut bait? It’s a question that’s plagued me for a while now, mostly because many of my clients are in my office as a direct result of the inability to do so.

Mostly, my clients are wondering when to say “good-bye” to their marriages, but the anxiety over ending a relationship doesn’t only pertain to romantic ones. Business relationships, friendships, even toxic family relationships can be exceedingly hard to give up. So,…

Sometimes when we are in conflict with another person we are faced with a dilemma about what we are or are not willing to say or do, or give or take, to reconcile matters. Though at some level of consciousness we want to settle things, there are times when we realize that what it may take to do so would compromise our values and needs. Or, we may have an excessive amount of antipathy towards the other person or sense that coming from them. Or, we may be worn down and despairing, have lost…

JAMS Announces Updated Arbitration Rules

July 9, 2014

Irvine, Calif. – In an effort to provide attorneys and their clients with the most up-to-date rules that suit the needs of their cases, JAMS is proud to announce it has revised its Comprehensive,…

Serena Williams: Tennis Champion & Master Negotiator?

Jeff…

What can inhibit 2 way conversation?? A ‘communication stopper’ can.

What’s that?

A communication stopper is a phrase that discourages someone from expressing him or herself.  It may not only shut down a conversation, but can also make it more difficult to connect again in the future.

I pulled out the manual for our 40 hour Basic Mediation class…

Mediation and Couples Therapy–Mutually Exclusive?



Jeanette recently sent me an article about mediation and couples therapy by Don Sinkov, a New York mediator, which focused on mediation and couples therapy. Basically, the writer expressed his thoughts on referring couples to therapy when the issues run too deep for the mediation table.

The writer focused on…

It happens in conflict that things frequently escalate in a way that results in the other person or us making things worse. The expression “jumping from the frying pan into the fire” applies here as an idiom that generally means escaping a bad situation for a worse situation. According to one source, “it was made the subject of a 15th-century fable that eventually entered the Aesopic canon”.…

Using Hurricane Katrina as a model, this speaker will discuss the phenomenology of disasters in America. Various deleterious factors can be forecast that impede effective emergency response. These factors can be better managed when one person is placed in a role to oversee and manage the crisis phase of a disaster. A Conflict Management Professional can unify the ad hoc crisis management team and ensure its accountability and engagement. Provision of a structural solution of this…

"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 […

Today’s blog is dedicated to whoever created the graphic upon which it is based. I don’t know who you are, so I can’t give you credit. I stumbled upon your thoughts while doing an Internet search for another post.

With many start ups, it takes more than just having a great product or service to really succeed. You need to have the right employees in key positions, good advice from mentors, a sound marketing plan, etc... This list could go on forever, but here are 4 ideas to help push your start up towards lasting success.

1. Mission Statement & Blog Post?

                Once you have your dream start up in place, create a mission statement for your company. This is obvious,…

Use Social Media To Improve Your Job Search is an infographic that was produced by…

Maybe you are thinking of becoming a mediator but aren’t sure whether you could learn the skills necessary for this role. Well, perhaps we could start by considering whether you already have the skills needed to be a success. The following are some that you might have picked up in the past, no matter what careers you have followed up until now.

Listening Skills

You won’t get anywhere fast in this role if you aren’t excellent at listening.…