Want to change how your family, group, organization, collaboration is working? Have conversations. It’s through conversations that change happens, and we are transformed. Here’s why: Conversations bring us together. And when we are together, we are much more comfortable with change, personal change, organization change, community change… We can handle anything, as long as we […]
Steven Baileys: Community Connector
September 1, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Steven Baileys knows how to make people feel welcome, welcome in the room, welcome in the community, welcome in the country. I first met Steven in late 2010. He was facilitating a workshop on Culturally Welcoming Businesses. I was an attendee. My initial impression, of someone who is genuine, sees the upside in others, and […]
What is Community and who are Community Connectors?
August 31, 2011 by · 4 Comments
According John McKnight and Peter Block, “community” is a general term to describe what occurs outside systems and institutions. It also refers to an aggregation of people or neighbourhoods that have something in common. … and (from John and Peter), characteristic of “community connectors” are people who are: Gift centred; see the positive, the […]
Grandmothers and Collaborative Learning
August 22, 2011 by · 2 Comments
[Note: I originally wrote this post, and had it posted a couple of months back, as a guest blogger on Lorie Vela’s excellent Collaboration Ideas blog. Thanks Lorie. With children shortly returning to school, and parents, and others, occupied by thoughts of “good learning”, I thought it might be timely to post it again, here.] […]
10 Dispute Resolution Questions asked by a Rainbow Mediator
August 9, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
There are many ways to resolve disputes. Do a quick global tour of the dispute resolution landscape, and you’ll see just how many. It’s as if there is a rainbow of options. The rainbow mediator acknowledges the diverse approaches to resolution, and incorporates key elements into her/his practice. Kind of a think global, act local. […]
Reduce the gap: Integrate thinking and doing
July 12, 2011 by · 2 Comments
Sometimes the gap between people seems so big that no common ground exists, no collaborative solution possible. Sort of like the current gap between U.S. Democrat and Republican politicians, negotiating the national debt? Or maybe the gap in a project team, in which teamwork is just a notion? Or, maybe the gap between businesses, or […]
11 Reasons why Grandmothers are good Mediators
July 8, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Let’s leave our dispute resolution expertise aside for a moment. If I had to package up the skills that a mediator, or anyone tasked with facilitating negotiations, would do well to have, that package might surely remind you of a grandmother you know, or knew. Here’s why: Grandmothers are good at seeing the positive core […]
How to build dispute resolution capacity in public jurisdictions and systems
July 5, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Conflict is part of our lives, from Day 1. Disputes happen; all kinds of disputes. Public jurisdictions, and systems, should ensure that there are sufficient resources available for people and organizations to resolve disputes. They should. Few do. How to build local capacity Larry Susskind is a leading figure in the field of public dispute […]
