Great work Jeff, this is an excellent extraction of some important points to consider when investigating the tipping point of any idea. As we all know from basic communication theory, upwards of 93-95% of a message is delivered through non-verbal cues. This must be kept in mind when we promote the field and look to expanding its reach throughout society.

The study provided investigating non-verbal cues of our beloved new anchors is very telling. I believe we can see the results of this study leveraged by today’s news anchors on our many cable news stations. Glen Beck is definitely an example of someone who captures the attention of his viewers by integrating a wide range of emotions and non-verbal cue as he makes his way through the stories in his show, I will reserve my analysis on this for a different conversation.

The power of non-verbal cues was also illustrated by the hush-puppy revitalization and the yawning exercise in the introduction. The hush puppies did not become popular through a campaign discussing the comfort level of the shoe, it happened as people saw others they identified with wear the shoe and they attributed their own reasons for why they would be the shoe for them.

So, how can we as mediators, or conflict engagement specialists utilize these concepts to help bring ADR past the tipping point? Well, I think we have to walk the talk and model the behaviors that we preach. Make the positive results of the processes we facilitate more visible to mainstream society. When discussing our field with others, do so in a manner that illustrates our desire to be part of the field. Be open to questions about the processes, and do not get defensive when criticism is delivered. If we do our job well and our clients leave feeling heard, and content with the results, they will develop into the salespeople we need to bring us towards the tipping point.