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Bias, Business, Clients, Cognitive Bias, Commercial Mediation, Communication, Deal Mediation, Decision making, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Efficiency, Fear, General, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Improvisation, Interests, mediation models, Mediation Outcomes, Mediation Practice, mediation process, Negotiation, Neuroscience, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Scotland, Skills, Sport, Stories, Success in mediation, Trust, Understanding mediation

(Core Solutions Group)/ /Leave a comment

The Olympics have come and gone with all of the emotion and inspiration they bring. In our recent, fully-subscribed, residential Summer School on mediation skills for leaders, we reflected on the learning from Rio. We watched a video replay of the men’s taekwondo -80kg final in which Team GB’s Lutalo Muhammad lost to his Ivory…

Developing the Field, General, Training, Young Mediators

(National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law)/ /Leave a comment

I have in previous entries (July 2012, July 2013 and November 2015) written about a peer mediation initiative called the Peacemakers’ Conference. The purpose of the Peacemakers’ Conference is to teach 13-16 year olds how to resolve conflicts amicably in a workshop cum competition format. This year’s Peacemakers’ Conference was held from 22 to 24…

General, Mediation Practice

(First Mediation Corporation)/ /Leave a comment

“Us and them. And after all we’re only ordinary men. Me and you. God only knows its not what we would choose to do. With, without. And who’ll deny that’s what the fighting’s all about.” [Pink Floyd] Historically our civilization has evolved primarily as successful hunters and gatherers. This evolution has been largely shaped by…

Brexit, Causes of Conflict, Communication, Conflict, Conventional wisdom, Creativity, Decision making, Dialogue, Dispute Resolution, Europe, Fear, General, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Interests, mediation process, Negotiation, Trust, Understanding mediation

(Bill Marsh Mediator)/ /15 Comments

  Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised by the whole Brexit affair. I’m not talking about the result of the vote itself, but about the referendum process, the behaviour it engendered, and its aftermath. All the classic features were present. Classic features of what? Well, of binary processes. Those that offer a win/lose, yes/no, remain/leave…

Cognitive Bias, Developing the Field, General, Humorous Pieces, Mentoring, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Young Mediators

(National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law)/ /Leave a comment

There is an Internet meme that goes “Somewhere, there is a 21 year old in a 50 year old’s body going ‘What the hell happened?’”. I try not to think about age generally; and more specifically, my age. In part because I can’t count that high. And if I wanted to count that high, I…

cross-border mediation, Cross-cultural, Developing the Field, General, insider and outsider mediators, Practical Challenges for Mediators

(NZ Centre for ICT Law & School of Law, Auckland University)/ /2 Comments

I’ve just returned from a week in Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and that week away gives me both a [slight] excuse for a late blog entry and a couple of reflections on the outsider/observer role of both mediator and tourist. I should say, too, at this outset, that this is…

Co-mediation, Communication, Creativity, Developing the Field, General, Improvisation, Skills, Training

(National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law)/ /1 Comment

I said in last month’s entry that that was going to be one of my occasional funky entries. Should I be concerned that for this month’s entry, I have decided to write on something equally funky? Bear with me, it’s clearly a stage I’m passing through. Either that, or my medication is wearing off! I…

General, Mediation Practice, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Skills

(National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law)/ /4 Comments

Ok. Let me come clean. This is going to be one of my occasional funky entries. To the left-brain, conventional, conservative readers of this blog, please skip this entry. It may only serve to aggravate you and disrupt your structured and certain world. If you are still reading, thank you. This month’s entry is a…

Causes of Conflict, Communication, General, Negotiation

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

“Yes we speak of things that matter With words that must be said” [Paul Simon, “Dangling Conversation”] I’m posting this a litle earlier than usual, but we all know of the distractions that will only be compounded in the coming week. For about ten years, before we moved to Singapore, our Thursday morning breakfast conversations…