Yesterday I conducted a training session for about 50 QUT Masters Students on the topic of How to Manage Conflict in the Workplace.  The students were all professionals among them doctors, nurses, managers and department heads. They came from all over the world including India, China, Solomon Islands, New Zealand and Australia. It was a

Take about 40 people from all walks of life; CEOs, COOs, HR, Managers, Department Heads.   Gather in a training session and mix for three hours. Engage their attention, stir it up a bit and apply a bit of heat….. How does workplace conflict occur? How to recognize it? How to manage difficult employees? What do

Somebody asked me the other day why I liked conducting mediations.  I explained that rather like solving the Rubik’s cube or a difficult crossword puzzle, I really enjoy the challenge of finding a way to resolve a seemingly insolvable conflict.   In fact I find I have about a 90% success rate. To illustrate my point,

After a lifetime of playing, coaching and refereeing, I have come to the conclusion that sports psychology can be applied to mediation.  Both require preparation, discipline and patience.  Your mind needs to be calm, mindful, balanced and you shouldn’t take things too personally.  During mediation, as with sport, the players experience a range of emotions. 

I recently had a tough commercial mediation.   It took eight long hours of negotiation until, finally, we reached agreement. By the time I got home I was exhausted.  My head was buzzing from a powerful range of emotions, both negative and positive.   I was hungry and tired but also satisfied with my performance. As I

You see, my role as a mediator is like chemistry. I am the alkaline solution that neutralises the chemicals and stops the explosion. I assist parties with peace and ending the conflict. As a mediator, it’s my job to deal with people in a fair, transparent and equal process.  I have to have the skills

After over 20 years as a mediator, my passion for dispute resolution and assisting parties resolve conflict burns brightly. I find it as exciting and rewarding now as I did 20 years ago. I look forward with anticipation to upcoming mediations. The passion I have for mediation extends to my role as a mediator. As

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