tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343313789871459242011-11-27T14:45:10.274-09:00All About Mediation & LifeMediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.comBlogger231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-14546489261771641062009-10-15T10:08:00.000-08:002009-10-15T10:08:53.258-08:00

A few weeks ago, the screen went black on my beloved laptop.  To my dismay I found out that I needed a new hard drive.  A new hard drive was installed into my computer to get it running again.  Thankfully all was not lost... I had most of my information backed up on an external drive.  Sometimes life can be like my defective hard drive.  You are minding your own business trying to make it

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-53367686622566862132009-10-14T04:18:00.000-08:002009-10-14T04:18:52.036-08:00

This week I caught up with one of my favorite shows, Heroes.  From season one I have been hooked on this reinvention of the super hero genre.  Unlike superman, batman, justice league, and various others, these heroes strive to maintain their humanity while living with the secret of superhuman gifts.  There are no tights or capes.  Just people trying to figure out how to live with the reality of

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-11610540245688740952009-09-28T03:56:00.000-08:002009-09-28T04:57:08.827-08:00

Last night one of my favorite shows returned with an action packed season opener. Viewers were treated to an update on the lives of the residents of Wisteria Lane in Desperate Housewives. Last season's big cliffhanger was finally answered. The mystery bride in the wedding dress was revealed to be Susan. Mike chose to return to his ex-wife rather than start a new life with Susan's old friend

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-33325384510107980692009-09-27T08:41:00.000-08:002009-09-27T09:39:13.098-08:00

In an attempt to get back into shape, I have begun training for a 5K. This morning, I dragged myself out of bed before dawn to run with my new running club. The morning began with a few laps around a neighborhood basketball court followed by a couple quick sprints. The morning concluded by running a 5K to test everyone's base time. After the run, each person set their fitness goals for the

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-35109362390765093462009-09-15T09:01:00.001-08:002009-09-15T09:01:41.291-08:00

I wrote a few weeks ago about my entrance into Facebook. Things are still going well. I am reuniting with old friends and gaining new business contacts. The book "33 Million People in the Room" mentions how using social networking changes the classic feedback cycle into a loop.Being on Facebook, I have seen this I aforementioned loop in action. It has given me an unexpected piece of information:

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-63436253692637797092009-09-14T09:20:00.000-08:002009-09-14T10:36:23.086-08:00

Today I am departing from my usual reflections on mediation to focus on a quiet genocide that is occurring in our society. This genocide rips apart families, strangles the childhood of its victims, and demoralizes all who participate in its acts. The genocide that I am speaking of is: Human Trafficking. Each year, millions fall prey to its deadly force.What is human trafficking? It is the

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-10511728413918174602009-09-11T11:42:00.000-08:002009-09-13T11:47:01.695-08:00

During my alternative dispute resolution course in law school, one of the chapters in the text discussed all the different personality types. The class had a lively discussion about the effects of different personalities on the mediation process. The reality is: we bring who we are into every mediation. As a mediator, it is important to understand my own boundaries and limitations and to

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-53343995747412220052009-09-11T08:54:00.000-08:002009-09-11T17:22:42.399-08:00

One of the most memorable stories that I heard at the 2009 DRC conference was told by another mediator. The mediator told the story of a case that was difficult to settle due to what appeared to be an uncooperative participant. The older gentleman that refused to settle, appeared to be intoxicated. When the mediator confronted the gentleman about his capacity to continue, he made a surprising

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-86105626377854448502009-09-09T18:38:00.000-08:002009-09-10T07:11:42.265-08:00

Great mediation requires effective communication. But what makes communication effective? In my opinion, it requires the exchange of a clear message from one person to another. The hearer of the message should be able to understand that which has been stated and respond with an equally clear message. This level of understanding between feuding parties is necessary to have a chance at conflict

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-4538047673201957872009-09-07T08:14:00.000-08:002009-09-07T08:30:25.443-08:00

The US Department of Labor says this about Labor Day:"Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."Today is the day that most of us take a day

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-70462011731276186192009-09-02T04:34:00.000-08:002009-09-02T04:47:11.139-08:00

Part II:“Progress always Involves risk. You cannot steal second with your foot on first “- Mary R.So, what should we” let go” of? Let go of the need to be in control of the parties; being in control may be an illusion anyway;Let go of the uncomfortable feeling when emotions and feelings enter the conversation; there are facts in the feelings;Let go of the impatience with the parties as they

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-13401860032424900592009-08-31T19:03:00.000-08:002009-09-01T05:12:50.931-08:00

Part I:As the popularity and institutionalization of the mediation field continues to grow, and educators and academicians continue to analyze the theory that drives our practice, the more our truths and beliefs about our practice will be challenged. For years the spectrum of ADR processes, although they all involve third party intervention, were defined by key functions and characteristics

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-38966242796047477792009-08-30T07:49:00.000-08:002009-08-30T08:37:44.026-08:00

As the owner of a mediation firm, I am always looking for new ways to market my business. I have recently been reading the book, 33 Million People in the Room by Juliette Powell. In the book, Ms. Powell encourages the use of social networks to expand the reach of your business and details the pros and cons of the most popular networks.If you are reading this, you already know that I have a blog

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-52084751421623917552009-08-28T04:34:00.000-08:002009-08-28T05:48:42.056-08:00

Last weekend, my husband discovered that one of our on demand channels had all three Godfather movies on demand for free. Over the last week, we have enjoyed a mini movie festival of the Godfather I, II, & III. Looking at the films again I have to tip my hat to the artistry of Coppola. Beyond the violence, the movies are a beautiful tapestry of characters perfectly weaved together on the

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-76005686550212114102009-08-26T17:02:00.000-08:002009-08-26T17:42:45.678-08:00

Edward Moore Kennedy (1939-2009)No matter your political views, the passing of Kennedy marks the end of an important era in American political history, the official end of Camelot. As the second longest serving senator, his legal footprint is hard to ignore. As a child of the 70s, the concept of a senate without a Kennedy is foreign to me. Some of Kennedy's legal contributions include:

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-8186458159755662432009-08-25T18:18:00.000-08:002009-08-27T11:31:05.360-08:00

During the conference I had the pleasure of hearing Tony Porter speak about violence against women. Mr. Porter opened with a provocative question: Why is it that so much violence occurs in the presence of so many good men? He went on to directly address the men by evaluating the culture of being a man in America. He touched on everything from the movies they watch to the differences in the way

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-16648134319963900322009-08-24T04:16:00.000-08:002009-08-24T08:39:47.377-08:00

One of the sessions that I attended during the DRC convention was entitled: "Mediating Disputes That Do Not Involve Monetary Issues." The session was led by Andrew Thomas. Much of the discussion surrounded viewing a clip from the movie "The Purple House". In the film there is a mediation between the neighborhood association president and the new neighbors that painted their home in an

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-83976643643807247522009-08-22T10:45:00.000-08:002009-08-22T16:17:43.828-08:00

Just got back from the DRC Conference in Orlando, Florida. It was my first conference and I really enjoyed it. It was great to exchange ideas with other mediators and gain new insight into the field of alternative dispute resolution. I gained a lot of good information that I plan to share with you in upcoming posts.The conference opened Friday, August 21 with a Plenary Session. One of my

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-13059470746686855052009-08-19T11:14:00.000-08:002009-08-19T14:07:30.816-08:00

I just watched a clip from this year's World Science Festival. I saw a pop culture icon from the 90s, Bobby McFerrin (of "Don't Worry Be Happy" fame) doing a musical demonstration of a pentatonic scale. A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with 5 pitches per octave. Mr. McFerrin taught the audience one such scale and amazingly, the audience of scientific minds performed like a melodic chorus.

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-82026429384564732702009-08-16T06:23:00.001-08:002009-08-16T08:42:07.794-08:00

10. Resolution of staff conflicts.09. Higher levels of patient satisfaction.08. Easy to implement.07. Creates patient loyalty.06. Creates malpractice savings.05. Control overhead costs.04. Settle patient disputes without court.03. Better than collections.02. It's confidential.01. Overall money savings.

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-18100547178159822802009-08-12T17:55:00.001-08:002009-08-14T17:07:39.566-08:00

Last night I watched the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. I won't spoil the plot for those who might be interested in seeing the movie one day. But I can tell you that one of the subplots involves a comedic cat and mouse chase between the Shopaholic, Rebecca, and a seething debt collector, Smeath.As I watched the movie, I couldn't help thinking of some of my recent clients. With the state of

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-61157293801112239152009-08-12T04:56:00.000-08:002009-08-14T17:10:47.209-08:00

“Our connections are best when they are truthful, and our truth is best when we are connected.” ( Boundaries Face to Face, by Dr’s Cloud and Townsend)About a week ago I was working in my home office. My husband was upstairs working at his desk and I needed to ask him a question. Instead of yelling upstairs or walking upstairs to have face to face conversation, I picked up my Blackberry and texted

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634331378987145924.post-92028395416799264302009-08-11T14:53:00.000-08:002009-08-11T15:26:16.486-08:00

Welcome to the inaugural entry of Mediation for All Seasons Blog! Thanks for stopping in and checking me out. Hopefully this blog will serve as a source of information concerning mediation.For those of you that are not familiar with mediation, it is a form of alternative dispute resolution. In a mediation, a neutral person (the mediator) acts as a messenger between different sides of a dispute

Mediationforallseasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029445511736175385noreply@blogger.com1