This book is not new, it’s been around since 2009, but it remains one of the few books about how to work with conflict that is not resolvable, or that may take many years to resolve. The book introduces the role of the conflict specialist (in contrast to the more limited ‘conflict resolver’ and their […]
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Staying with Conflict by Bernard Mayer Read More »
This book, written by a physicist, a philosopher and a psychologist/lawyer is basically about how to apply the “thinking tools” used by experts in these disciplines to everyday life and decision making. It’s about managing information overwhelm, and learning how to think. The book developed from a UC Berkeley course called “Big Ideas” that taught
Many mediators know about transformative mediation, but in my experience, not many mediators really understand it. I was certified as a transformative mediator in 2010 (Baruch Bush was my assessor) and was approved to teach transformative mediation by the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation (ISCT) a few years later. Since then, I have
Transformative mediation – separating the myth from the reality Read More »
On 21 March I spoke at the Australian Disputes Centre conference in Sydney. This is what I spoke about. Consider how conflict coaching might support your existing processes. We’ve each been asked today to share our solid gold tips and techniques for staying on the cutting edge of Australian ADR. I’m here as the past
Solid gold tips for staying on the cutting edge of ADR Read More »
This book is about how we easily we become habituated to our surroundings, and how this can be problematic for many reasons (although it’s also practical in some ways). We can habituate to good things, and then reduce our appreciation of them. We can also habituate to bad things, and then become less motivated to
John Gottman is a very well known researcher in the field mental health and relationships. Julie, his wife, is an award winning psychologist. Together, they founded the Gottman Institute, which includes the “Love Lab” in which they have observed over 3,000 couples interact, especially when in conflict. Their analysis of these couples’ behaviours has enabled
This article was written by Samantha Hardy and Danielle Hutchinson, with significant contributions from Dan Berstein. Why adapt your practice? As I’ve discussed in a previous article, one size does not fit all. We live in a diverse world and we work with a diverse client base. We can do so much more to be
Adapting our practice Read More »
I honestly cannot say enough about this book. This book is ESSENTIAL reading for anyone working in the conflict space. There is a lot of current interest in topics like trauma-informed practice, neurodiversity, difficult people, high conflict personalities and mental health. This book cuts through the often misguided popular culture and easy fixes and gets
Brian Grazer is an American film and television producer, who founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. While you may think him an usual candidate for authoring a book about curiosity, it turns out he is perfect for this task. For the past 35 years, Grazer has been sitting down and having ‘curiosity conversations’
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: A Curious Mind by Brian Grazer Read More »
In the past couple of weeks, I have come across a few different mediators in Australia and other countries who have offered, or are currently offering, some version of a contingency fee for their mediation services. This got my attention, and I decided to explore the phenomenon in more detail. I’ve done some research, and
CRITICAL REFLECTION: No settlement, no fee in mediation? Read More »
