This book is a memoir spanning generations of the Kwa family on different continents (including Australia where Mimi Kwa was born and lives). It’s a book about culture, family and conflict. At times shocking, at other times heart breaking, and in between sometimes hilarious, the book covers the challenges of conflict across families, generations and […]
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: The House of Kwa, by Mimi Kwa Read More »
When someone says they’re a mediator, what image comes to mind? Probably someone who helps people in conflict work through their differences, right? Simple enough. But here’s the thing—mediators are not all the same. In fact, the mediation field is incredibly diverse, even though most practitioners don’t describe themselves beyond the generic label of “mediator.” There are many different
Exploring the Diversity of Mediation Read More »
This is a fascinating article that provides an overview of research into the individual, team and systemic level factors that contribute to conflict between clinicians within emergency departments. The researchers found that conflict often occurred during referrals or admissions from ED to inpatient or admitting units. Individual-level contributors to conflict include a lack of trust
* Thanks to Rebekka Kornmehl, Danielle Hutchinson, and Carol Bowen for their helpful feedback on this content. People in the conflict resolution field typically think of mediation as a client-centered, informal, and flexible approach to managing conflict. However, as highlighted by participants in the Symposium for Access to Justice for Autistic People in ADR in
Embracing Inclusivity in Mediation – A Pathway to Justice for Neurodivergent Individuals Read More »
Thanks to Rebecca Kornmehl for recommending this book to me! I learnt so much from this book that is essential for my role as parent of an autistic child, and a practitioner who frequently works with neurodivergent clients. Most importantly, the book helped me understand better the distinction between autism as seen through a pathology
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Neuroqueer Heresies by Nick Walker Read More »
I recently had an interesting conversation with someone who started out by describing their boss as a “narcissistic personality” and who was looking for some advice about how to get them to change their behaviours towards staff. Work with behaviours, not labels The first step is to emphasize the importance of avoiding labelling the boss
When the Boss Is Exhibiting Challenging Behaviours Read More »
I’m a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell’s books, they are always a terrific read, even if he is prone to overstatements and lack of rigorous research. In this latest book, he reviews his earlier book The Tipping Point and its hypothesis that little things can make a big difference. Twenty-five years later, it’s a very
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Revenge of the Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell Read More »
In the world of mediation, professionals frequently encounter complex ethical dilemmas that require careful consideration and judgment. Recently, a discussion among mediators explored such challenges in depth, providing valuable insights into the ethical intricacies of the profession. This blog post delves into the key themes discussed, focusing on the delicate balance mediators must maintain between
Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Mediation: Insights from Practitioners Read More »
Coleman argues that there are three different criteria for how we might adapt our interpersonal conflict strategies: relational importance, goal type, power differences. These different criteria lead to seven basic types of interpersonal situations. These include: where the conflict is of low importance (independence), compassionate responsibility (high power, cooperative goals), partnership (equal power, cooperative), cooperative
REAL WORLD INSIGHTS: How we adapt our interpersonal conflict strategies Read More »
Peter Coleman’s research has identified the four most challenging conditions or “derailers” of mediation as: High intensity conflict: higher levels of destructiveness, emotionality, and intransigence; High degrees of constraints or limitations on the mediation: including legal and time constraints and constituent pressure; Highly competitive relationships between the disputants; and The covert nature of the issues
REAL WORLD INSIGHTS: Peter Coleman’s “Adaptive Mediation” Read More »
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With respect for the people of our First Nations and the justice of their claims, the Conflict Management Academy acknowledges their unbroken care for country, since time immemorial. This care extends across all the lands and waters of Australia. We join with those who are of, and care for, country, in paying our respects to Elders past and present.
