Most of us shy away from conflict, doing everything in our power to avoid it. However, living a life free of conflict isn’t always possible and there are moments when arguments or disagreements arise, whether in the workplace, at home, or in your relationships that need to be dealt with in a healthy way.

An organization can hire a diverse workforce and can prepare formal, written policies that stipulate how differences must be respected at all times. And yet, it’s the informal cultural norms that dictate (and enforce) whether those employee differences will actually be respected and fully utilized on a daily basis.

I have no idea what I will do when I go to mediate a matter. After 30 years of practice the  only thing I know is that the parties are stuck and if they have lawyers, the lawyers are  stuck. 

If men hate each other, then there’s no hope.  We will all be victims of that hate.  We will slaughter each other in wars we don’t want and for which we’re not responsible.  They’ll put a flag in front of us and fill our ears with words.  And why?

Decision-making is an integral part of conflict resolution. Any decisions taken at any level during the resolution process must consider all the conflicting needs of the individuals who are in conflict.

While it is true that lawyers are eminently trained in the art of negotiating by virtue of the rigors of their profession, arguably some have suggested that these skill sets and the competence achieved provide them with a sound basis to act as mediators.