This short article presents accounts of ten mediators about the factors affecting how we handle continuing streams of mediations – our mediation systems. These systems are the combination of factors affecting what mediators do before, during, and after mediation sessions. The systems include their routine procedures and strategies for dealing with recurring challenging situations. The … Continue reading Ten Real Mediation Systems
There is no good definition of ADR, as described in a recent post. This post suggests that it’s time for a paradigm shift in our field. Instead of identifying our field as ADR, we should use dispute system design (DSD) as our central theoretical framework. Time for a Paradigm Shift Thomas S. Kuhn’s classic book, … Continue reading Shifting the Central Paradigm to Dispute System Design
If two rocket scientists don’t correctly understand each other’s jargon, things could blow up real fast. If laypeople don’t understand the scientists, however, no problem. It’s quite different in the dispute resolution field. Parties are supposed to actively participate in mediation (and other dispute resolution processes to some extent), and thus they need to understand … Continue reading Houston, We Have a Problem in the Dispute Resolution Field
Mediation theory generally focuses on models of mediation procedures. While prescribed procedures obviously can be important factors affecting mediators’ behavior, traditional mediation theories are major oversimplifications that often don’t reflect the reality of how mediators actually think and act. Many mediators agree with this critique, but these theoretical concepts still are widely used without much … Continue reading Real Mediators’ Real Mediation Models
