Conflict

Communication, Conflict, Dialogue, General, Mediation Practice, Neutrality, Practical Challenges for Mediators, The role of the mediator

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Many of my fellow bloggers on these pages, and perhaps many of the readers, will have found themselves in the position in which friends, colleagues, workmates or others call on your/our mediation experience at short notice, and in circumstances that are perhaps not ideal in terms of planning and preparation. One of the strategies I…

Clients, Conflict, Developing the Field, mediation models, Mediation Practice, mediation process, Research, Uncategorized, Understanding mediation

(University of Strathclyde) and (Mediation Hertfordshire)/ /Leave a comment

Try this thought experiment: imagine a mediator without empathy. How and what would they do? Would there be drawbacks? Benefits? The response to these questions probably depends on our own experience of empathy. This simple yet often misunderstood term masks a complex and fascinating set of ideas about human connection. Because we believe empathy is…

Bias, Conflict, Creativity, Decision making, Dispute Resolution, Mediation Practice, mediation process, memory, Perception

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In 1933 Alfred Korzybski wrote: “A map is not the territory it represents, but, if correct, it has a similar structure to the territory, which accounts for its usefulness.” More recently (2006), James Robertson wrote (to reference him once again, this time from ‘The Testament of Gideon Mack’): “We trust in maps because when we…

Conflict, Dispute Resolution, Future of mediation, insider and outsider mediators, Mediation Practice, Negotiation, peace negotiations

(Bill Marsh Mediator)/ /2 Comments

Over the Christmas break, I had the pleasure of reading Ken Newell’s memoirs, “Captured by a Vision”. Ken was (until his retirement some years ago) a Presbyterian Church minister in Northern Ireland who, out of deeply held conviction arising out of his Christian faith, played a central role in bringing together representatives of both sides…

Conflict, crisis negotiatons, Dialogue, Europe, Football, France, Germany, Stories, Violence, War Stories

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Christmas Spirit in Air It is hard to miss that the Christmas is coming, especially if you live in this part of the world. The streets of both major cities and smallest villages are decorated, the trees’ candles lit up and everybody is carrying lots of presents in public transport. If you are lucky enough,…

Conflict, Creativity, Decision making, Dispute Resolution, Impasse, Negotiation

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James Robertson’s novel ‘To be continued…’ introduces us to a character who goes by the name of Mungo Forth Mungo. Mungo is somewhat far fetched, not least because he is a talking toad. In this capacity he engages in many thoughtful and reflective conversations with the main character in the book – Murray Findhorn Elder…

ADR, Apology, Argument, Conflict, Decision making, Disclosure, Memory and Illusions, Stories, Trust, Uncategorized

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Shortly after the neighbourhood mediation started, one of the parties turned to me her eyes flashed with anger: “Everything that he is telling is false, do not listen to him…” The other party got het up: “Indeed, Mr. mediator, everything I have ever said was a lie…Do not listen to me…” Without even knowing this,…

Causes of Conflict, Communication, Conflict, Dispute Resolution, General, Perception, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Skills

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

I was reflecting the other day that in the 25 years that I have been conducting workshops in Negotiation, Mediation and other related areas, most conflict resolution workshops don’t seem to pay a lot of attention to personality preferences and how these can contribute towards conflict. I recently ran a workshop for the Law Society…

Cognitive Bias, Communication, Conflict, Decision making, Dialogue, Dispute Resolution, Mediation Practice, Negotiation, Neuroscience

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The story of the blindfolded men who each approach an elephant from different angles (at the tusk it’s described as a spear, at the tail a rope, at the leg a tree etc.) is a good example of how multiple truths can exist depending on the perspective you take. Different views can often be the…

Brexit, Conflict, Creativity, Dispute Resolution, Europe, Mediation and Society, Negotiation

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On the face of it clarity and certainty would always appear to be preferable to ambiguity, in order that people know where they stand and can plan and act accordingly. However, in a recent article Fintan O’Toole reflected on the position of Northern Ireland in the Brexit negotiations and concluded: “…stopping the violence meant creating…