I enjoy reading books. They are a safe way to explore the ideas and works of others. And, a really good book is inspiring. It seems to connect on a personal and emotional level; a connection that can motivate one to further thought and action. Here are ten of the books I read in 2011, […]
I "don't know" and I'm going to run with that
December 9, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
I felt crappy even before the face-to-face mediation began, this week. Fighting some seasonal bug, I was hoping the mediation would be a short one, no matter the outcome, and I would soon be on my way home, to a hot apple cider and a bed. It was not a short one. Yet, what […]
The Cloud and Mobile are the Mediator's future office
December 6, 2011 by · 2 Comments
I mediated a trans-national business dispute last week. The mediation took place over several days, and was conducted online, over the Internet. There was zero physical paper exchanged. I worked from my laptop, from my home office. Essentially, all the software I used was based in the Cloud, and either free or low-cost. I’m grateful. […]
Creative Thinkering: Video Book Review
November 28, 2011 by · 1 Comment
Are you a problem-solver? Do you find yourself struggling to come up with creative ideas? Then I recommend you check out Michael Michalko‘s books. I did. Here’s my video report on his latest book, Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work. (video not displaying? click here). And, here’s a short summary of some of the […]
Ken Kelly: Connecting Communities in Downtown Victoria
November 24, 2011 by · 1 Comment
Like any city centre, downtown Victoria is a place where people from different communities intersect; residential, visitor, business, service, cultural. Each community is diverse. Residents may be living in high-end condos or in short-term residence at Our Place. Visitors include tourists, local shoppers, and the transient homeless. Businesses range from big bank office to small, […]
Silence: Pattern Interruptus
November 22, 2011 by · 6 Comments
When conflict is all around, resolution seems distant, and the voices ring loud, sometimes the best way forward is to say nothing silence. As a mediator, I’ve found silence can be an effective pattern interrupt technique, a way to break impasse, especially if the parties in a dispute aren’t listening well, are locked onto negativity, […]
10 Diverse ways to build your capacity to appreciate the Other
November 16, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
My first blogging inclination this week was to write a glorious followup to a post I wrote a year ago, on strategies to reduce the income inequality gap. Getting into it, I quickly discovered I may have overstretched myself. Rather than snap, I humbly offer this alternative… It is through our shared disconnection, that […]
The Many Perspectives on Aging
November 10, 2011 by · 1 Comment
A lot happens on the edges. As we get close to the far edge of our life, it’s an opportunity to look back, and reflect on what happened, and be true to oneself. Listening and interacting with older people (older than me, anyways) or my elders, as I prefer to relate to them, can be […]
Circles: In Life and Death
November 5, 2011 by · 5 Comments
We gathered in concentric circles, like the rings on a tree that show its age, in a small community hall this week, to sing songs that celebrated our friend, who had just died. With those in the innermost circle leading the songs, we sang together, folk favourites of the deceased. Combined with other remembrances, food, […]
