Zena Zumeta: Spiritual Side to Mediation - Video (3/19/10)
Zena Zumeta
Zena Zumeta speaks to the spiritual dimension of the work she does - how helping people learn how to respectfully and effectively be a part their workplace and family is a sacred task.

The Fun Theory And Workplace Motivation (3/15/10)
Lorraine Segal
Can fun be an effective motivator at work? It might, according to a recent psychology study reported by David DiSalvo. In the study, researchers first assessed participants as high or low achievers and then gave them a series of 5 computerized tests. Their computers flashed various achievement-oriented cues for the first 4 tests, and, predictably, the higher achievers performed better.

ABA 2010 Mediation Video Contest Winner - Considering Mediation (3/15/10)
ABA Section of Dispute Resolution
The ABA Section of Dispute Resolution announced the 2010 winners of its First Annual Mediation Video Contest. The First Prize Winner was “Consider Mediation.”

Q & A With Charles L. Howard (3/08/10)
Jeff Thompson
I recently interviewed Charles L. Howard, author of The Organizational Ombudsman. I discussed with Chuck (he let me call him that) different aspects of the book, his motivation and how it can help you- if you are an ombuds, conflict professional, or someone interested in creating an ombuds office for your university or organization.

The Fun Theory And Changing Behavior At Work (Part 1) (3/01/10)
Lorraine Segal
How do we change behavior at work for the better? A big corporation in Germany started a campaign they call The Fun Theory.

Good Leaders Are Good Mediators (2/22/10)
Maria Simpson
If you work on organizational or employment conflict, you will be very pleased to know that the latest trend in ideas about leadership focuses on the need for excellent conflict resolution skills. This trend is good news not just for mediators, but for all those who work in organizations where the lack of conflict resolution skills was often seen as a sign of strength.

Mother Always Liked You Best—Dysfunctional Family Patterns In The Workplace (2/15/10)
Lorraine Segal
If you‘ve ever felt like your managers, co-workers or employees were acting like children, you may be right. For better or worse, many of our habitual patterns of communication and conflict in the workplace come from our families of origin. When people bring these unconscious understandings and roles to work, it is a volatile recipe for conflict, miscommunication, and a negative, poorly functioning organization.

Lessons For Mediators From Corporate Leadership (2/08/10)
Jan Frankel Schau
I was always a bossy little girl. So it was with great interest that I read an interview in this morning's New York Times of Susan Doeherty, who leads the United States Sales, service and marketing of General Motors. Her natural demeanor was instructive for me as a mediator in these ways.

New Ombuds Book Out (2/08/10)
Jeff Thompson
For those interested in the ombudsman role and perhaps thinking of entering the field, this book surely is a must, right? I am trying to get my hands on one to do a book review but be warned... Chuck Howard's "The Organizational Ombudsmen" is 600+ pages! Hey, to be a (good) ombuds, you must have a full understanding of everything and anything ombuds and ADR related so get reading!

Woman Bites Dog—Acknowledging My Part At Work (And In The Park) (2/08/10)
Lorraine Segal
?My clients and I often wish we could remake our co-workers and managers in our preferred image. But, the reality is that we generally have little or no control over the words and actions of others, even if there are negative consequences for us. So, I encourage my conflict coaching clients to look at their share, however small, in a problematic interaction.

Downsizing Resentments At Work (1/25/10)
Lorraine Segal
Is resentment poisoning you at work? I have witnessed clients, parties in mediations, and colleagues filled with resentment toward a co-worker, supervisor, or employee. Sometimes these feelings persist for years, only expressed indirectly, with inevitably negative consequences on the individuals, their productivity, and their leadership skills.

Always A Godmother, Never A God—Power And Control In The Workplace (1/18/10)
Lorraine Segal
Unrealistic attempts to control bosses, co-workers, or employees at meetings or individually can be huge sources of conflict in the workplace.

Ombuds News (1/18/10)
Jeff Thompson
A review of ombuds news from around the world!

Recognizing Ineffective Team Patterns (1/12/10)
Maria Simpson
Sometimes teams are stuck in ineffective communications patterns that aren’t even recognized although they may be having significant impact on the team’s success. These patterns can be focused on such issues as relationships, processes, behaviors, or resources. Even if you are sure your team is working well, it might be useful to step back and take a look at the patterns of communications on these issues and see if any can be improved.

The Importance Of Making A Mess At Work (1/11/10)
Lorraine Segal
For many years I put immense energy into avoiding errors and messes or defensively pretending I hadn’t made any. I finally started to understand what this artist knew intuitively, that mistakes are valuable. If we are unwilling to risk making a mistake, we also risk lessening our creative ability to solve problems.

Becoming Human At Work (12/28/09)
Lorraine Segal
Do we see others at work as human, or do we fit them in a convenient slot based on their professional role or our hasty judgment of them?

Should HR Professionals Work Up The Courage To Negotiate Competitively? (12/28/09)
Victoria Pynchon
Check out Kris Dunn's recent blog post at the HR Capitalist Retail and Religion - Now Inhibiting the Negotiation Skills of an HR Pro Near You...Though the reasons given for our negotiation hesitancy are insightful and, I believe, spot on, the post moved me to more or less use the HR Capitalist Blog's comment section to write today's post.

You Say “Hello”, I Say “Adios”, Conflict Versus Difference In The Workplace (12/21/09)
Lorraine Segal
In the U.S., when we walk past someone we don’t know, what do we say?

Labor-Management Lessons For The Larger ADR Community (11/23/09)
Jerry Barrett
Labor-management mediation can claim an institutional history from 1913 to the present, almost a century of existence. Any organization with nearly 100 years of continuous existence with a full time staff of mediators, an extensive body of experience and training ought not to be ignored.

Mediating Employment Disputes (11/09/09)
Steve Mehta
Many employers are now agreeing to use mediation as a form of resolving disputes with employees. In fact, over the last 10 years, mediation has become the most popular form of alternative dispute resolution used both inside and outside of the court systems.

Conflict Management Coaching at the Transportation Security Administration (10/19/09)
Cinnie Noble, Scott Becker, Sam Slosberg
In 2003, the Transportation Security Administration, (TSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, initiated the development of an Integrated Conflict Management System (ICMS), as part of an innovative Model Workplace Program. A Conflict Management Coaching Program (CMCP) emerged early on as one of the many unique service delivery components of this ICMS. This article discusses how this innovative program was designed and addresses how the CMCP has emerged as an integral component of TSA’s ICMS.

The Art and Science of Summarization in Mediation (10/06/09)
Diane Cohen
There is often nothing more important to a successful mediation than insightful summarization of the parties’ perspectives.

Mediation of Staff Concerns with College President to Be Webcast (9/22/09)
Keith Seat

The president of Florida Keys Community College has brought in a professional mediator to address staff concerns in several days of mediation sessions, culminating in a public session which will be webcast. Concerns range from complaints of staff intimidation and retaliation by the president to over-reporting the number of students for purposes of state funding.

KeysNet (August 29, 2009)

Mediation Disguised In The Dispute Process For Public Works In Qatar (7/06/09)
Chandana Jayalath
Parties prefer a mechanism that does not call the employer as their ‘disputant’ may be because the employer is everybody’s paymaster or the potential source of future jobs. Parties also appreciate speedy, flexible and fair outcomes, rather than too formal procedures that are time and money consuming. Consequently, parties have realized the importance of solving their conflicts of opinion, both commercial and contractual, at the ‘employer’s level internally. This is where in-house settlement comes into play in the context of public works in Qatar.

ACRG-NY July Recap: World Bank’s Office of Mediation Services (7/06/09)
Jeff Thompson
For those who miss the monthly NYC-DR Roundtable Breakfast meetings sponsored by ACRGNY and John Jay College due to schedules (yes, we are all very busy conflict resolvers) or due to locations (I guess everyone can not be in New York City), I plan to write a recap of each gathering I attend. I hope you enjoy, and feedback is always welcome!