Tiger Woods played his hardest match today when he made a public apology to his fans, business partners and supporters. It was humble. It was sincere. And it was personal. The timing was his own, based not upon a public outcry or demand, but based upon his own personal journey towards accepting responsibility for his bad behavior. It worked for me. I’m not sure that it changes his past, but I am sure that a sincere apology has the potential to change future relationships for the better. It doesn’t happen routinely in mediation. When there is a sincere and humble explanation for bad conduct, and a request for forgiveness, coupled with a pledge to change or correct it, it can simply diffuse a conflict in ways that no money can buy. People, even heroes and celebrities, sometimes fail and disappoint. A decent apology can go an enormous distance towards relieving the sting of disappointment that bad behavior creates. It’s a powerful lesson for mediators and those who represent people in conflict.
Sometimes I feel like I’m in the middle of a tug-of-war. This week I had the anomolous situation of having two nearly identical full day cases back to back. In...
By Jan Frankel SchauI’m just wondering...because I get a lot of notes and questions from mediators about how to transition from doing court annexed mediation to building a private client base. Now, hear...
By Managing EditorThere’s a difference between being justified in your response and the response being a good choice. Here’s a question I’ve found useful for gaining a little psychological distance in the...
By Tammy Lenski
