stay in dialog,
resisting tug to withdraw
or to power-play
patience wins the war,
risk raises its daring head
above the foxhole
conciliation,
as Mother Apology,
bravely lifts her veil
me-against-you fades,
us-against-it emerges,
“we” supersedes “I”
both science and art,
mediation’s a life-skill
… it's simple magic
“Simple Magic” was the original working title of the first edition (1988) of my book Managing Differences, which remains the sourcebook for courses offered by Mediation Training Institute at Eckerd College (mediationworks.com).
Holding the Ph.D. in psychology, Dan Dana served for several years as a professor of organizational behavior at the University of Hartford (Connecticut) Graduate School of Business, and has held faculty appointments at Syracuse University and several other institutions. (A former student once called him "Doctor Conflict," and the moniker stuck!)
As the founder and managing director of the Mediation Training Institute International, Dr. Dana seeks to expand global awareness and use of non-adversarial methods for managing human differences – in the workplace and beyond. He is the author of Managing Differences, the sourcebook of MTI’s seminars — published worldwide in six languages — and Conflict Resolution: Mediation Tools for Everyday Worklife, a featured book in the McGraw-Hill Briefcase Books series.