I am pleased to announce that I have been inducted into the Canadian Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (CADN). CADN is a professional association whose membership consists of ADR professionals distinguished by their hands-on experience in the field of civil and commercial conflict resolution. Membership is by invitation only and all Academy members have been thoroughly
Continue readingTag Archives: Mediation
Can A Mediation Fail?
Even if everyone at the table is focused on the best interests of their clients and moving the file forward, mediation may not always end with a settlement. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the mediation was a failure! Any mediation that results in the parties speaking openly and honestly to each other is a “win”,
Continue readingMaking The Most Of Half-Day Mediations & Questions To Ask After Each Mediation
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Continue readingTop Skills To Achieve Mediation Goals & Dealing With Challenging Parties
Customized Webinars For Your Organization Or Firm I offer custom webinars on a variety of topics, including Achieving the Best Result at Mediation, Excelling at Negotiations, and Mediation Memos & Openings. If you would be interested in having me host a webinar, please feel free to reach out. Blog Post: Three Skills To Achieve Mediation Goals There
Continue readingMaking The Most of Your Mediations in 2022
There are three essential skills to achieve your Mediation goals. They are optimism, empathy, and perseverance. My last three Blogs in 2021 went over these in detail. Click on each of the skills above to read my full blogs. When you come to mediation with an Optimistic Approach, no matter how deadlocked things look between the parties, you continue to believe
Continue readingWhat’s Needed For A Successful Mediation? Perseverance!
Every party needs to use soft skills – or better put, essential skills – to get the most out of the mediation process. In my experience, three stand above the others. Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared in blog posts my first two, Optimism and Empathy, and the reasons why they are important. But
Continue readingEmpathy: What it Means, and Why it is Important
I’ve long believed in the importance of bringing empathy to mediation proceedings. In fact, I hold it as one of the most important soft skills needed to create movement during a mediation. When opposing parties are empathetic towards each other, that allows them to move past their positions to their interests – what they really
Continue readingThe Role Of Optimism At Mediation & Using Opening Statements To Set The Tone
Blog Post: Optimism: The First of Three Soft Skills Every Mediation Needs What is the soft skill needed at every mediation to make progress on a file? Optimism! Click here to find out why it ranks #1 on my list of the most critical soft skills. Mediation Tip of the Month Priority/Loss Transfer Arbitrations Do you need an experienced arbitrator with
Continue readingOptimism: The First of Three Soft Skills Every Mediation Needs
Hard skills, such as legal expertise and preparation, are essential to bring to any mediation. But when soft skills are also brought to the table, I’ve found it significantly strengthens and amplifies those hard skills, the two combining together for the lawyers, clients, and mediator in effectively moving a stalled case along. What do I
Continue readingThe Power And Importance Of Opening Statements When Mediating Online
We are now one year into mediating online and entering the third wave of the Covid-19. After over a year of lock-downs and restrictions, many of us have become very comfortable with mediating online. Given the benefits of mediating online, I believe that this practice will be continued for at least the next several months,
Continue readingThere Is No Such Thing As A Failed Mediation
When I sit down with parties at a mediation, most of the time everyone at the table is interested in one thing above anything else: reaching a settlement. Unless one or more of the parties is determined to see their day in court, it’s clear that having a direct say in the outcome of a
Continue readingExcelling At Mediation: Practical Tips And Best Practices
Even the most confident and experienced lawyers and claims professionals probably feel a little uncertain when they walk into a mediation meeting room. No matter how prepared you are and how many times you’ve been in the same situation, you can never be certain how a session will play out. The particular facts of a
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