On Beating Bullies (5/14/12)
Michael Jacobs
Tackling bullying may involve a counter-intuitive approach. While naming and shaming may leave us feeling morally superior, it might also produce ever more subtle forms of bullying. This article argues that we need to encourage those of us who feel like kicking butts to ‘come in from the cold’.

Sixty Things You Can Do This Week (5/06/12)
Diana Mercer
Below is a list of 60 simple tasks that you can get started on this week. These are designed to be simple tasks that you can do to market your arbitration or mediation practice. It is an excerpt from The Peace Talks Marketing Book.

Facing Mediation? 5 Strategies (4/22/12)
JoAnne Donner
As a mediation coach, my mantra is “Mediation can be one of the most important days of your life. The decisions made that day can affect you and your family for the rest of your lives.”

Conflict Resolution - The Indispensable Inner Life (4/17/12)
Michael Wright
This article highlights the relationship of our thoughts and beliefs to our experience of conflict. It contends that our view of conflict is formed internally and, when left unquestioned, projects and holds itself externally in our conflict situation. It is argued that this dynamic blocks us from seeing anything other than the internal thoughts and beliefs that generated the conflict in the first instance. This also in turn blocks our realization of solutions. The article then points out that mediators are in a critical position to support client examination of conflict producing thoughts and beliefs, giving examples of a few common facilitative techniques that support client questioning of his/her thoughts.

Homeowner Mediator Association Primer (4/09/12)
Jim Lingl
There is no “right” or “wrong” type of mediation style.  Effective mediators can be helpful in almost any setting, regardless of their predominant style.  But resolution of different types of dispute can be enhanced by the selection of the best style of mediator to match the participants and the conflict.

Mediation as a Business (4/02/12)
Phyllis Pollack
Most mediators I know are passionate about their work and about bringing peace to the world. We like to think of ourselves as “peacemakers” and that our goal is to assist others in resolving disputes. Consequently, we may not always focus on the fact that mediation is a business or that, in fact, we are “peacemakers for hire.” Like others, we need to be paid so that we, too, can pay our rent or mortgage, put food on the table and provide for our kids (or, in my case- my dog, Argus.)

Poor Behavior 9: Rescuing (4/02/12)
Vivian Scott
Do you work with someone whose shortcomings tug at your heart strings? Taking on the role of caregiver every now and then isn’t a bad thing; like helping a new employee find his way or mentoring someone who has an interest in learning from you. Nor is it wrong to help someone become more efficient or stretch their skills; no matter your position in the org chart.

One Key Difference Between Mediation and Collaborative Law is Often Overlooked (2/28/12)
Michael A. Zeytoonian
As a mediator and a collaborative lawyer, I often get asked: “What is the difference between mediation and collaborative law (“CL”)?” It’s hard for parties in a dispute and other non-lawyers to see the differences; in fact lawyers have trouble articulating them.

Extremely Sketchy and Incredibly Graphic (2/28/12)
Brad Heckman
I recently joined NYC Sketchnoters Group, and tonight is our second meeting. Sketchnoting is all about using usual visual images — drawings, symbols, shapes, icons, color, etc. — to record ideas and convey meanings. For visual thinkers, it’s a great companion piece to traditional chicken scratch note-taking. Visuals for Change founder Amanda Lyons helms the group, and for a mere 10 bucks, you get yourself an evening of shame-free sketchnoting and infotaining interactive exercises.

Conflict: The Best Feedback Process There Is! (2/28/12)
Liz Rivers
Lets face it – most of us are terrified of conflict. Our hardwired responses are either to ignore it in the hope it will go away or to treat it as a fight that we must win at all costs in order to preserve our self image. Believe me, after 20 years as a mediator I am not immune to this once I’m off duty. My secret shame is how I lose my rag with people in call centres.

Part 1: 8 Simple Keys to Building and Growing a Successful Practice (2/27/12)
Diana Mercer, James Michael Davis
This article is an excerpt from Diane Mercer's book "8 Simple Keys to Building and Growing a Successful Mediation or Arbitration Practice." This book is designed to help you develop a good marketing plan to get your mediation or arbitration practice off the ground.

Tips for New Mediators (2/19/12)
Paul Stenzel
A mediator who can remember what it was like to be a newer mediator offers some tips for new mediators. It is difficult beginning any career, and mediation offers some unique challenges.

Helping Parties Have the Conversation They Want to Have (2/13/12)
Diane Cohen
How often have we all wanted to say something to someone important in our lives, and yet our meaning is misunderstood; our words fail us; or confusion ensues and we wonder what happened. The same holds true for parties, and for many parties this is the cause of their conflict.

A New Generation of Mediators (2/13/12)
Charlie Irvine
Scotland has not been quick to adopt mediation. I have written before about the wariness shown by some of our most senior judiciary, and Scottish litigators have told me they have more experience of mediation in London than in Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Poor Behavior 3: Pitting People Against Each Other (2/06/12)
Vivian Scott
Continuing the Dirty Dozen list of 12 behaviors that cause conflict at work and then are attributed to the catchall phrase, “personality clashes”, I’m adding: #3 Pitting People Against Each Other

High Conflict Mediation and Ethics (1/30/12)
Ann Begler
Working with high conflict people requires skill that goes well beyond facilitating a conversation. Some mediators do it well and some should never try. If a mediator sees it as his or her responsibility to make a fair assessment about competency in this regard, everyone is well served – clients, mediator and the system, itself.

Mediation Works, But Will it Play in Macedonia? (1/23/12)
Michael Diliberto
The article describes the status of mediation in the Republic of Macedonia and the cultural issues that affect whether or not the Macedonian judicial system should adopt compulsory mediation. The article also provides persuasive alternatives from other jurisdictions that are used to encourage mediation.

Personality Clashes: A Dozen Dirty Behaviors (1/16/12)
Vivian Scott
A smart guy and I are creating a webinar series for employees on the topic of conflict resolution. In the one section we decided to break down what it means to have a “personality clash” with a coworker.

How to Destroy Your Chances for a Raise (6/27/11)
Vivian Scott
Some employees think that if they suck up a little during the few weeks prior to a review, the boss will forget or overlook the fact that they’ve made mistakes, presented sloppy work, badmouthed others, had attendance issues, and generally did as little as they could to get by. Not so.

Edison: Opportunity is Disguised as Work (6/05/11)
Steve Mehta
Steve Mehta describes how full-time mediators become successful.