ADR Vantage, Inc.ADR Vantage, Inc.ADR Vantage, Inc.
70% of workers claim that right now is the most stressful time of their entire professional careers. A global pandemic, working from home, virtual classrooms, and an uncertain economy are all contributing factors to these high levels of stress. Higher stress levels combined with social distancing and remote communications can…
Do you ever feel like you are caught in a conflict cycle with someone else? You keep having the same argument, or the same thing is repeated, over and over again with no way out? Conflict resolution practitioners know that when someone keeps repeating themselves – mentioning the same issue,…
Words That Generalize Word choice is often discredited as a major element of good communication, in favor of other elements such as body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. But the words you use play a crucial role in causing and in resolving conflict. If you introduced your friend…
When I first became a trained mediator in the mid-90s, brainstorming was all the rage. Management journals touted the benefits of hosting in-person, group brainstorming to promote creativity in organizations. Leadership associations sponsored trainings on how to lead visual brainstorming activities in meetings. In fact, mediation course curriculums always included…
Language is a key factor in both causing and resolving conflict. A useful phrase that helps resolve and reduce conflict is “Can you help me understand”. Example: “Can you help me understand how you think that would help our reputation?” It is all too easy to attack another person by…
How can leaders ensure employees are productive, accountable and still engaged after weeks and weeks of uncertainty and stress? The answer is – they can’t. Even prior to the current pandemic, when workplaces were considered relatively “normal”, leaders couldn’t just magically make those things happen. Even the best leaders can’t…
“In a crisis, we need short-term goals that are meaningful and motivating and appropriate for the situation at hand.” Whether you want to improve your leadership or management skills, your performance, or your relationships with co-workers or friends, coaching has become more prevalent in recent years and may have been something…
The article, “The Fear of Feelings at Work” originally published in The Atlantic, highlights why it is important to acknowledge the existence of emotions in the workplace. Now, in 2020, amidst a global pandemic that suddenly and unexpectedly changed our lives and workplaces forever, it is even more critical that…
Here at ADR Vantage, we are compiling resources that we have found helpful for customizing our approach to conducting effective virtual mediations. Please find links below. We will be updating this periodically. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/insight-effective-virtual-mediation-during-the-coronavirus-crisis. Written primarily for attorneys about preparing and supporting their clients in mediation with some useful points for…
Confidentiality is a foundational element of mediation and essential in creating a trusted space to have open dialogue. Our mediators start every mediation with a review and signing of an Agreement to Mediate. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen significantly more use of virtual mediations (telephonic and…