Causes of Conflict

Causes of Conflict, Cognitive Bias, Creativity, Cross-cultural, Dialogue, Economics, Framing, Language, Mediation Practice, The role of the mediator, Uncategorized

(Core Solutions Group / Scottish Universities Insight Institute)/ /Leave a comment

Erisology has been defined as the study of disagreement – where people are no closer to understanding each other at the end of an exchange than they were at the beginning. Sound familiar? Eris was the Greek goddess of discord.  The term was been coined by John Nerst, a blogger in Sweden, who is interested in…

Bias, Causes of Conflict, Cognitive Bias, Communication, General, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, NLP, Perception, Skills, Social intelligence

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

For readers who are new, the “Neuro-Linguist’s Toolbox” series is an ongoing series focused on using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) in our practice of amicable dispute resolution. The first section focused on rapport (the first of which can be found here). The second section focuses on matters of self-care and personal improvement for mediators (the first…

Brexit, Causes of Conflict, Conflict, Europe, Negotiation, Tips, Uncategorized

(University of Strathclyde)/ /4 Comments

“I think the EU will need to move significantly on both those key points because they’re points of principle.” (Dominic Raab, UK Foreign Secretary, speaking on the BBC this morning) The Brexit negotiation, despite its dizzying stakes, has triggered a fair amount of wry humour. I’ve poked gentle fun at the protagonists myself: Brexit Irritators:…

Book Review, Business, Causes of Conflict, Cognitive Bias, Commercial Mediation, Dialogue, Economics, Governments/Public Sector, Mediation and Society, Partnering, Public Policy

(Core Solutions Group / Scottish Universities Insight Institute)/ /Leave a comment

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” was a saying I heard quite a few times while growing up, as another childhood wheeze bit the dust. I returned to it while reading Michal Sandel’s recent book ‘The Tyranny of Merit’, in which he takes a very critical look at the notion of meritocracy….

Causes of Conflict, Communication, COVID-19, Dialogue, General, Reality-Testing

(NZ Centre for ICT Law & School of Law, Auckland University)/ /Leave a comment

“Half moons ago people were hollowed-out tablets of stone spaces were given them according to spaces they left . . . some spaces were filled with darkness no light would shine there . . .” – From “Afkasi” by Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh, former poet laureate of New Zealand Many of you will be familiar…

ADR, Causes of Conflict, Conflict, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Framing, Mediation Practice, mediation process

(University of New South Wales)/ /14 Comments

Covid is the gift that keeps on giving. It has provided a wonderful focus for blame that has let us off the hook for a lot of things. It has coincided with significant changes in our mediation experiences and again has been seized on as the culprit when mediation sessions go ‘off piste’. The new…

Bias, Causes of Conflict, Cognitive Bias, Decision making, Dispute Resolution, Instinct, Mindset, Perception, Reflective Practice

(Paul Sills Mediator & Barrister)/ /2 Comments

Introduction “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.” William James Whether as mediators, advisors or parties in dispute, we consider ourselves rational, open minded thinkers. We make decisions in an objective, non-biased fashion, don’t we? Sadly, not often. We are all susceptible to a swarm of cognitive…

Causes of Conflict, Communication, Cooperation, COVID-19, General, Negotiation, Social intelligence

(NZ Centre for ICT Law & School of Law, Auckland University)/ /4 Comments

“All of humanity’s problems stem from [one’s] inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” – Blaise Pascal, Pensées We have done a lot of walking in recent weeks. As we approach the end of the extended “Level 4” of the Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand, we look forward to only slightly lifted restrictions on…

Appointment of Mediators, Causes of Conflict, Cross-cultural, Dialogue, Framing, insider and outsider mediators

(NZ Centre for ICT Law & School of Law, Auckland University)/ /Leave a comment

“For as long as our records go back, we have held these two things dear, landscape and memory. Each infuses us with a different kind of life. The one feeds us, figuratively and literally. The other protects us from lies and tyranny. To keep landscapes intact and the memory of them, our history in them,…

Below the line, Business, Causes of Conflict, Commercial Mediation, Conflict, Developing the Field, Economics, Mediation Practice, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Reflective Practice, Scotland, Uncategorized

(University of Strathclyde)/ /Leave a comment
money

Twice today I’ve found myself responding to mediator reflections in these terms: the money’s not about the money. Both cases involved financial negotiation, even haggling, but that’s deceptive. The key to settlement lay not in the realm of calculation and rationality but in the more opaque social world of face, punishment, justice and emotion. In…