Mediation Practice

Accreditation, Developing the Field, Efficiency, General, mediation as a career, Mediation Practice, Mentoring, Training, Uncategorized

(ADR Center Romania)/ /Leave a comment

The first mediation course is a special moment that each of us holds in our hearts and it represents the foundation of every mediator. The transformational process that we all go through during our training as mediators is materialized by the change in our attitude towards conflict and how to solve them. When we go…

Conventional wisdom, Creativity, Improvisation, Instinct, Intuition, Mediation Practice, Negotiation, Teamwork

(First Mediation Corporation)/ /Leave a comment

The Problem with Conventional Wisdom in Negotiation  Conventional wisdom in negotiation provides specific responses to stimuli that are categorized as competitive or cooperative behavior. Depending on the identity of the behavior, the negotiator is taught to distribute a set value through a series of moves and concessions, or create value through ideas and transformative behavior….

General, Mediation Practice, Skills

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

I was fortunate to have been in Belfast, Northern Ireland for the International Negotiation Competition for Law Students hosted by Queen’s University. This is a competition that is run every year where students from law schools all over the world meet to negotiate simulations where they represent clients in deal-making or dispute-resolving contexts. As part…

Conventional wisdom, Developing the Field, Ethics, Impasse, mediation as a career, Mediation Institutions and Rules, Mediation Outcomes, Mediation Practice, Mediators’ Conduct, Mentoring, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Stories, Success in mediation, Training, Uncategorized

(University of Strathclyde)/ /6 Comments

Professions (and hence professionals) are both blessed and cursed with high expectations. The upside is clear: the public expects high standards, expertise and care, and in return is prepared to pay handsomely. The downside typically involves disciplinary sanctions against those not measuring up to those standards, although issues of probity rather than competence tend to…

General, Humorous Pieces, mediation as a career, Mediation Practice, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Skills

(Sabine Walsh Mediation)/ /Leave a comment

This time of year in Ireland (August) is referred to by many as “the silly season”. Courts, legal offices and many other public services close for holidays, children get bored having been on holidays for 6 weeks already, people flock to last minute sun holiday destinations as they realise that, yet again, it is going…

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…

Apologies, Causes of Conflict, Clients, Conflict, Cross-cultural, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Mediation Practice, Memory and Illusions, peace negotiations, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Survivor, Transformation, Uncategorized, War Stories

(University of Strathclyde)/ /1 Comment

I find myself writing this blog from South Africa, at the annual conference of the International Association of Conflict Management – http://www.iacm-conflict.org/. It is a fantastic melting pot of ideas, bringing together a range of cultures and identities. Cultures, at first sight, seem to describe national and group identities: South African, American, French, Dutch, Tanzanian,…

Communication, Email, Mediation Practice, Settlement Agreements, Tactics

(First Mediation Corporation)/ /2 Comments

The Problem You have become accustomed to communicating settlement offers through email; Your email efforts have been misunderstood by the other side;   In the fast-paced world in which we live, it is easy to get caught up in communicating through electronic channels such as the BlackBerry or the iPhone so that your message is…

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…

Bias, Causes of Conflict, Clients, Communication, Conflict, Ireland, Mediation Practice, Mediation Users/Clients, Social intelligence, Uncategorized

(University of Strathclyde)/ /2 Comments

This week the 5th World Summit on Elder Mediation is taking place in Glasgow: see http://www.eldermediation.ca/styled-2/index.html. It is an inspiring gathering, bringing together mediators from Canada, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, England and Scotland, all committed to helping older people deal with conflict in a way that is humane and just. The range of issues is daunting…