This week, Rick Buccheri, ADR Vantage’s Director of Programs, facilitated “Navigating DEI in ADR Practice”, an engrossing discussion among ADR practitioners and program managers exploring how issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion affect the practice of alternative dispute resolution. It was an in-depth conversation, and a great opportunity for…
Many clients seek out our facilitation services to help their team or department work through a challenging problem, to realign their strategy to a new set of organizational priorities, or to simply help them navigate a difficult conflict situation. In all these instances, creativity is necessary to find new approaches…
From our Managing Director, Tara Taylor… When I first learned to mediate, I felt like there were so many “not to dos”. Things I was not supposed to say or do, in an effort to maintain my neutrality, to avoid making judgements, and to allow self-determination for the parties. In…
As more and more organizations look to enhance their current Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, the concept of “psychological safety” is a renewed area of focus. Widely considered to be the “Father of Employee Engagement”, Professor and researcher Daniel Kahn discussed the concept of psychological safety in the workplace…
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…
If you are responsible for an item on a meeting agenda, apply these simple criteria to make sure the time you are given is productive for everyone attending the meeting. Do you want discussion? NO: If the answer is no, be sure to advise attendees right away that this part…
The larger the group, the less responsibility each individual group member may feel for contributing to the efforts and overall success of the group. In essence, the more people present in the room or in the meeting, the easier it is for each individual person to feel less motivated and…