As we enter the new year and I reflect on my life as a mediator, I am proud of my achievements. I have a passion for mediation. The results are reflected in the feedback I receive from clients and the fact that around 90% of all matters that I mediate reach resolution. Concomitantly, I have

MEDIATION – THE 90% SOLUTION It has been my experience that around 90 per cent of conflicts are resolved at mediation. I achieve this high success rate because of a combination of two factors.  One is my ability to work impartially with understanding and respect and build rapport with each of the protagonists and/or their

Cyclones cause havoc and so do disputes. Today, I spent hours hosing down my driveway and veranda. As I was guerneying, I came to realize that the skillset needed to achieve a good result was similar to that needed for a successful mediation: Patience. You cannot go any faster than the clients/guerney equipment; Mindfulness. You

I enjoy my work as a mediator and I find that time passes quickly when I am in the middle of a mediation. I recently held a session between two parties and their respective lawyers. The dispute had been going on for more than 4 years and a great deal of money was involved. There

FROM ANGER AND BITTERNESS TO RELIEF AND SMILES – A SUCCESSFUL MEDIATION! One of the joys of mediation is when parties are able to not only resolve the conflict, but also come to terms with their emotions. I recently conducted a business mediation between two directors who had been with the same company for over

WHY I MEDIATE Someone asked me the other day why am I so passionate about mediation. I thought for a moment and told him that my mission statement as a mediator is to leave to world a better place than I found it. What that means is that as an individual, I can help resolve

Mediation – The Process of Healing By Farley Tolpen, CEO. So what do you do when you have two parties at each other’s throats for over 4 years? This was one of those classic situations you see every day in cheesy 80’s sitcoms. This involved two people who were constantly shouting at each other and

I recently had the opportunity to see and hear the Dalai Lama. He spoke for over 1-1/2 hours and was incredible. Part of his talk was how each of us as individuals possess the seeds of love, compassion, empathy, kindness and forgiveness. These seeds can be developed by practice. Once we have sown said seeds

By Farley Tolpen, CEO.  I mediated a matter between two employees who worked in the same department for a medium sized company. Mutual cooperation was necessary for their positions and the company’s success. Unfortunately, there was a complete lack of communication and a high level of conflict between them with accusations of fraud, harassment and

At first glance, mindfulness and mediation are very different. Mindfulness is referred to as a solitary self-help/self-development practice. Mediation involves a conversation between a minimum of two parties and a mediator. When these two practices are joined, there are very similar parallels that lead to resolution. Both practices require the person/mediator to pay attention to