What's Happening [08.27.13]

The "What's Happening?" Blog is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more. Check it out each week and view past news [HERE]

A Game of Negotiation!

Noam Ebner- Imagine a world in which important, top-level policy decisions, such as those regarding nuclear power, higher education or foreign relations were made on the basis of real discussion focused on real facts. In these conversations, hype would be washed away, moderate majorities would probably find more voice, and (hopefully) better decisions would be made – with less residual acrimony and polarization.

John Lennon’s “Imagine” material? I don’t think so.

Working with a group of very serious-minded, yet somewhat playful, coauthors, we envisioned a way to engage the public in such conversations through combining elements of public participation, the power of games, and the capacities of the internet.

In “A Game of Negotiation”, Christopher Honeyman, Peter Adler, Colin Rule, Roger Strelow, Chittu Nagarajan and I describe the Deliberation Engine, and how this game platform can serve to engage the public on important issues and reach meaningful results. Could this be implemented in practice?

Read more [here].

Art of Negotiation

Diamond is a Pulitzer-winning journalist for The New York Times, a Harvard-trained attorney, Wharton MBA, UN consultant and has served as manager and executive in many sectors. Currently, he teaches a course on negotiation at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. This book draws upon his vast experience and has several case studies drawn from the work of over 400 of his students....

The author says that since the people involved make up 90% of a negotiation — substance accounting for only 10% — one must negotiate based on one’s understanding of the “pictures in the head of the other party”.

Effective Mediators & Nonverbal Communication

Werner Institute Blog Guest writer Jeff Thompson is presenting at the 2013 ACR Annual Conference

What really makes a mediator effective? Are the skills you use as a mediator the same as others? Do you try to specifically do certain actions while also avoiding others?

...After reviewing the studies, three skills contained were frequently mentioned while many other skills fit within these three. The three are: developing rapport, building trust, and displaying professionalism. For my research, I argue that:

1) Each (rapport, trust, professionalism) is created primarily through nonverbal communication and

2) The mediator’s introduction is a critical moment where each of the three are observable based on the mediator’s actions.

Which Criteria We Should Consider for Our Review of Video Conferenc...

“The Texas Conflict Coach® Radio Blog Program” September Series

Patricia M Porter- The Texas Conflict Coach® Blog Talk Radio program announces the following episodes starting

in the month of September, held every Tuesday night from 7:00-7:30 pm CST/8:00-8:30 pm EST.

September 3rd : “21st Century Disputes. Caveman Brains. How do we bridge the gap?”

September 10th : To Arbitrate and Split the Baby Or To Mediate in the Hot Tub?

September 17^th: Got Conflict around Eldercare and Estate Issues? Here's a Guide for Resolution

September 24th: How to Avoid Making a Disaster Out of a Disaster!

Intellectual Property, Technology and Environmental Mediation &...

Dave Hilton- In this 24th Episode of the Conflict Specialists Show, Dave Hilton interviews Karl Bayer about his Mediation, Arbitration and Special Master work over the last 25 years.