In one of our recent masterclasses at The Conflict Management Academy, we discussed some of our recent learning from Dr Emily Skinner and Professor Elizabeth Stokoe, and workshopped improved ways to describe what we do. Here’s a summary of what we came up with. Thanks to participants (Debra Farrelly, Deb Black, Peter Hanson, Nurit Zubery, […]
How We Describe What We Do: A Guide for Mediators Read More »
Recently, we had the privilege of hosting Professor Elizabeth Stokoe for a webinar on her research into how intake staff at UK mediation centres communicate with callers seeking information. As a psychologist specializing in conversation analysis, Professor Stokoe examines real interactions rather than those happening in artificial experimental settings. Her work provides valuable insights for
The Subtle Art of Impartiality: Lessons from Conversation Analysis 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 »
* 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 »
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 »
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 »
In many workplaces, policies around conflict between employees say something to the effect that the person should first try to resolve the matter directly with the person with whom they are in conflict. If that is not successful or not possible, then they should raise the matter with their line manager, and/or a representative from
Can AI act as a conflict management coach? Read More »
This post has been written by Judith Rafferty, adapted from her Open Educational Resource (OER) Neuroscience, psychology and conflict management (2024), licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 Licence by James Cook University. Neuroscience, psychology and conflict management In a previous post, I discussed the value of neuroscience and psychology knowledge to inform conflict
Insights from cognitive psychology: Applying priming to conflict management Read More »
When setting up your practice, it’s important to have all your documents in order. Many people don’t prepare in advance and then are in a last-minute panic when the first client turns up and they need paperwork! It’s also important to remember that each client may need different types of paperwork, so you adapt and
TIPS FOR NEW PRACTITIONERS: Getting your documents in order Read More »
One question to think about at the very start is what is your purpose for gathering feedback / testimonials? It is always useful to gather feedback to constantly improve your services, but it’s important not to ask for feedback when what you are really looking for are testimonials for marketing purposes. Transparency is essential. In
Marketing with testimonials Read More »