Neuroscience

Causes of Conflict, Conflict, conlfict coaching, Developing the Field, International Mediation, Mediation Practice, Neuroscience, peace negotiations, Uncategorized

(University of Strathclyde)/ /2 Comments

Last Sunday in Edinburgh I took part in a panel on the subject of Intractable Conflict. The principal speaker was Oliver Ramsbotham, Emeritus Professor of Conflict Resolution at the University of Bradford, and author of ‘Transforming Violent Conflict: Radical Disagreement, Dialogue and Survival’ (Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2010). He described a familiar, if depressing, phenomenon in…

ADR, Below the line, Clients, Commercial Mediation, Conflict, Corporate Counsel's View, Creativity, Decision making, Dispute Resolution, Due Process, Efficiency, Ethics, insider and outsider mediators, Instinct, Lawyers, Mediation Practice, mediation traditions, Mediation Users/Clients, Mentoring, Mistakes, Neuroscience, Planning, Skills, Standards, Stories, Success in mediation, Survivor

(Brick Court Chambers / Clifton Chambers)/ /Leave a comment

Down here in New Zealand it’s high summer and most of the country will spend until the end of January at the beach. I remember, when I was still at my law firm 10 years ago, the feeling of brief respite at this time of year before having to put on my boots again and trudge…

ADR, Business, Clients, Commercial Mediation, Communication, Conventional wisdom, Decision making, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, General, Interests, Lawyers, Lawyers and Psychologists, Legal Practice, Negotiation, Neuroscience, Skills, Uncategorized

(Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy)/ /1 Comment

Mediators often talk about the power of framing their own language and reframing the language of parties and others in mediation settings. For example, mediators may frame their comments in neutral, constructive and future-focused language. They may reframe party statements to detoxify offensive or destructive language or to create a shift from the negative to…

Decision making, Litigation, Mediation Practice, Negotiation, Neuroscience, Social intelligence

(First Mediation Corporation)/ /Leave a comment

How many times have you confronted the mediator before the session begins with this question: “You’re not going to do a joint session are you? I don’t l think it will be productive.” The conventional wisdom in such a request is to avoid a moot court debate in which counsel are forced to advocate strong…

ADR, Causes of Conflict, Conciliation, Conflict, Decision making, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Neuroscience, Skills

(Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy)/ /3 Comments

In this post I want to talk about an important thread that is emerging in the science of the twenty-first century. It is the finding that we are all interconnected, that we are porous beings with the ability to influence not only ourselves but one another in ways not previously contemplated. What we previously knew…

Communication, General, Mediation Practice, Neuroscience, Skills

(National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law)/ /2 Comments

Part of my misspent youth was spent on immersing myself in reading about, taking trainings in and practicing Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Over the years, NLP has affected my thinking about and approach to my training and practice of mediation. Some readers may not be familiar with NLP. I will provide a, necessarily, brief background here…