The Price of Convenience: Loss of Connection and Relationship

With a few keyboard strokes, you have it; whatever it is.  A book, groceries, someone to clean your home…  And, at such a convenient price,too!  What’s the rub?  How about loss of connection and relationship?  From a Washington Post article last week about Homejoy (h/t to Jarche for the link), a cleaning services web start-up. …That’s the […]

Writing tips for storytelling from Billy Wilder

Summer is always a good time to vary perspective.   On the book front this summer, “Conversations With Wilder“, by Cameron Crowe, offered me some new perspectives on story. Billy Wilder (1906-2002) was a legendary Hollywood movie writer and director. (Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like it Hot, The Apartment and many more). Conversations with […]

Offering a Continuum of Choices is a Trusted Collaborative Problem Solving Technique

When we’re stuck on a problem, and filled with negativity, the options lean to either/or.  When we articulate the spaces in-between, new possibilities emerge, a continuum of choices.   A continuum of choices reduces the risk of either/or, win/lose, and encourages collaborative problem solving. Offer a continuum As a contract court mediator with Mediate BC, […]

3 Preconditions for Effective Communications

Ever reached out, across the virtual divide, and found your communications efforts less than stellar?  (Yep.)   Somehow, the conversation seems to have barely begun, before the scene deteriorates and communications fall apart.   Puzzled as to why things unfolded that way?   Maybe, the conditions weren’t in-place to begin with, for effective communications to […]