Recently, I wrote about the notion of a “conflict entrepreneur”: “people who exploit high conflict for their own ends.” (Ripley, Amanda, High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out, Simon &Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 2021) at.xi). I was so intrigued that I bought the book only [Read More]
I was watching the CBS news the other night when John Dickerson did a piece on “ What is a Conflict Entrepreneur?” https://youtu.be/fCrQRchkDWY?si=G24Lzq4Mu49tmUyR Dan Harris, in his article “How to avoid a conflict entrepreneur,” defines it as “… someone who inflames turmoil to benefit themselves.” They are individuals who “get [Read More]
A recent study discussed in Livescience suggests that when we are confronted with a moral dilemma, we resolve it by listening to our bodies. In “Your moral compass is tied to how in tune you are with your body, study hints” by Skyler Ware (May 28, 2025), the author notes [Read More]
In their book, Essentials of Negotiation, Roy J. Lewicki, David M. Saunders and Bruce Barry (7th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 2021) set out the traditional negotiation styles. They include: Contending (also called competing or dominating) in which a party will pursue his/her own “…outcomes strongly and show little concern for [Read More]
During a mediation, one or more parties will often bring up the topic of managing expectations- usually in reference to the other party. The discussion will be to the effect that I, as the mediator, should go into the other conference room and have a “candid” conversation with that party [Read More]
As we all know, mediation has become quite popular if not ubiquitous over the last twenty years. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, it was slowly gaining acceptance; in the last twenty years, it has truly become THE alternative to litigation. (No doubt, the pandemic with its lockdowns creating the necessity [Read More]
As one might suspect, mediations are more likely to end in settlement when the participants are in a good mood or are happy. Parties in bad moods make a mediator’s job more difficult; their overall negative outlook on life turns even the best settlement proposals into “bad deals”. So, when [Read More]
The other day I stumbled upon a tweet mentioning a “velvet hammer”. Wondering what it was, I googled the reference and came upon an article discussing its meaning and use; Why the ‘velvet hammer’ is a better way to give constructive criticism by Stephanie Vozza. Taking issue with the what [Read More]
