Attitudes and Conflict in the Workplace
“Hi, John. Nice tie.” We have the ability to take this one simple sentence and saturate it with meaning. I might think, “Why yes it is! You obviously have great taste.” Or, “What’s that supposed […]
My Take on “How to Sabotage a Mediation”
A lawyer friend of mine recently sent me a link to a sarcastic piece on how lawyers should prepare to attend a mediation. Although it was funny and very clever, it strikes me as more […]
Put Your Listening Skills to Use! Effective Communication is Key to Resolving Conflict
When supervisors are promoted, they should have a subtitle under their new title: resolver of conflicts, great and small, which threatens workplace cohesion, productivity, and morale. Might be a bit long for a plaque on […]
Why Investing In Employees Can Also Assist In Conflict Coaching
“In an organizational hierarchy every employee tends to rise or get promoted to his or her level of incompetence.” Laurence J. Peter, The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong. Mr. Peter describes what many […]
More About Confidentiality
When you are ill or hurt, you talk about your concerns and symptoms with the understanding that your health care providers can’t go back home and tell their dinner party guests all about your issues. […]
What Happens When a Mediation Agreement is Broken?
People choose mediation because it is a voluntary (in most cases), nonbinding process that does not affect their ability to pursue further legal action. These are important benefits of mediation, but they can also pose a […]
Going to Mediation: Who Decides?
Mediation is a voluntary process; sometimes, though, “voluntary” can get a little murky if employers are “strongly recommending” mediation or, in fact, requiring it before other steps can be taken. Ontario, after all, does have […]
Mediation as a Solution in Harassment Cases
You’ll often find lists of tips for dealing with harassment at work. One that I recently came across advised that we take a “work stress inventory to identify” sources of stress and write a “joy […]
The Mediation Agreement: Why Is It So Important?
The mediation agreement plays a crucial role in the mediation process. It is a way of saying, “This is what we’re all doing here; this is how we have to conduct ourselves; these are the […]
Mediation Documentation: The Role of Note-Taking
Author Gabrielle Zevin has said, “I have so much paperwork. I’m afraid my paperwork has paperwork.” Most of us can relate. The point of mediation is to create an opportunity for parties to communicate and […]