I don't know about you, but the most common question I get when I tell people that I'm a Mediator is -

What is Mediation?

That's why I've put together this short, 3-minute video. In it I describe the Mediation process and also briefly mention other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).…

Transformative theory has, until now, been applied mostly to the question of how mediators can be most helpful.  How those principles applied to dealing with one's own conflicts was not so clear.  Now, Folger and Bush, the authors of The Promise of Mediation, have conducted a training on this question, and they seem to have nailed it!  …

Tune in Wednesday, June 19 at 1:00pm EST for our upcoming show featuring an  ACR Annual Conference Workshop Preview - Dan Berstein's session titled "Mental Illness in Mediation." 

Join us as we interview Dan Berstein, a mediator living with bipolar disorder.  Dan travels the country teaching mediators cultural sensitivity toward mental illness and ways to make their practices accessible to varying mental health needs.  We'll discuss Dan's history with this topic,…

When in conflict we commonly turn our negative energy on the other person in various ways. Examples may be by gossiping about her or him, blaming, name-calling, and generally saying counterproductive and mean-spirited things to and about her or him. The irony of the expression, “When you throw dirt, you lose ground” (credited as a Texan proverb) is not lost on those of us aiming to…

For many of us engaged in conflict or embroiled in a dispute, it can be very difficult to muster up empathy and compassion for the other side. The longer the conflict goes unresolved it seems the less empathy we have for them as a human being. In this first of our four episode series--Conflict and Empathy: Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone?-- we will introduce the “wheel…

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

In my latest blog entry, available here, I tell the story of a parenting mediation.  The story illustrates why we mediators have no business trying to move parties toward an agreement.

One of the common statements that occurs in conflict is, “that’s not fair”. It may be a response to an action that is seen – according to our sensibilities, values, and beliefs – as wrong. It may be an emotional reaction to a decision or position someone is taking on a matter with which we disagree. It may be due to a rule, policy, or procedure that we experience as oppressive, threatening, or undermining. It may be a perception that another person is being arbitrary, unthinking, obstinate,…

The Association for Conflict Resolution needs mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution students to join the organization as the next generation of ADR specialists.  My role is to position the value of ACR student membership to encourage new student enrollments.  My additional undertaking is to create more incentives for ADR students to join and to regard the ACR as a networking organization to develop their ADR careers while in school in preparation for the job market.  Students need to…

Family businesses are unique and complex differing in many ways from non-family businesses. For those family businesses preparing for the next generation to transition and succeed, they need to expect all kinds of issues to arise that can cause conflict. Family members have questions…

“You're not lucky to have this job, they're lucky to have you. Every day, you invest a little bit of yourself into your work, and one of the biggest choices available to you is where you'll be making that investment.” –Seth Godin

With some enthusiasm, we here at HSCT can say that we are fans of marketing.

You know, that thing that you do that increases web traffic, SEO optimization, public relations and advertising.

Oh, wait, you mean that you’re not a fan of marketing?…

The Texas Conflict Coach® Blog Talk Radio program announces the following episodes starting

in the month of  June, held every Tuesday night from 7:00-7:30 pm CST/8:00-8:30 pm EST.

Our guest for the month of June will be Edwin Rutsch, Founder of a global empathy movement, The Center for Building a Culture of Empathy.  We will be discussing various topics in our 4-part series on Conflict and Empathy:  Where Has…

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

When some of us get upset we cry. It’s just what happens. Crying is considered by some to be gender and sometimes culture specific. However, in my coaching work I have seen both men and women from a wide range of cultures cry. I have also heard both genders - across cultures - talk about internal weeping though those words are not used.

(Internal weeping may be described as experiencing deep and overwhelming feelings about the situation or the other person. Words to express these…

There has been much said regarding the ability of parties to mediate in cases where there has been domestic abuse. While no one believes abuse is an issue that can be mediated, the parties may have issues that can be resolved through mediation. Our program will discuss issues…

The International Ombudsman Association presents several training sessions for new and experienced Ombuds in Phoenix, Arizona on July 8 through 12, 2013. The programs include:

• Foundations of Organizational Ombudsman Practice (formerly Organizational Ombudsman 101), July 8-10
  
  This 2½-day course that covers the fundamentals of the Organizational Ombuds role. It provides basic information and training for the Organizational Ombudsman by emphasizing the…

The "What's Happening?" Blog is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more.  Check it out each week!

When to Talk to Monsters…

In this episode of the Conflict Specialists Show, Dave Hilton interviews Judy Mares-Dixon from Mares-Dixon & Associates.

Some of the topics in today’s episode:

• Designing Dispute Resolution Systems
  
  
• Collective Bargaining
  
  
• Mediating Federal, State and Local Government disputes
  
  
• CDR…

Mediation and nonverbal communication are two terms, and those who know me can vouch for it, that I have been using non-stop for the past two years as both are the core focus areas of my PhD research topic at Griffith University Law School.