On December 9, 2007, the New York Times published an article titled, “No, We Don’t Want to Kiss and Make Up” by Abby Goodnough. The article explored conflicts that take the form of long-running grudges and feuds. These disputes can plague families, and business, professional, or academic rivals for decades. The article cites the famous […]
Conflicting views on conflict in an organziation
Dale Dauten’s The Corporate Curmudgeon column in the November 19, 2007 Hartford Business Journal was titled “Fomenting Mutual Respect.” In it he quotes a study that found that executives felt that some 18% of management time was wasted resolving staff personality conflicts. He went on to discuss the completely divergent reactions of two management pros: […]
Communication, conflict, and e-mail
In a recent New York Times column, “Turkey Tune-Out Time”, Roger Cohen wrote about the case for “no e-mail Fridays.” His main point involved the overuse of technology to keep us connected to our work, to our peril. One of his comments about e-mail was especially interesting: “it’s a lousy tool for conflict resolution, a […]
“Holding hands and singing Kumbaya”
The water problems in the southeastern United States have started to pit one state against another on the issues surrounding the water flow of the Chattahoochee River. The governors of of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida are set to meet next week in Washington to discuss the situation. Sadly, Georgia Governor Sunny Perdue has provided an […]
Not part of the plan
An article in Forbes magazine, July 23, 2007, by Alex Davidson talks about the trials of a married couple who owned and ran a business together. “Food Fight” tells the story of Lorene Reed and Larry Bearg, who bought Planet Organics, a produce delivery service, in 1997. As the article sums it up: “The business […]
“The Biology of Conflict Resolution”: The Nexus Project
Last week the Quinnipiac University School of Law and Yale Law School Dispute Resolution Workshop kicked off another year of bringing renowned experts in the field of conflict resolution to Connecticut. The first lecture featured an excellent presentation by Douglas Yarn and Gregory Todd Jones of Georgia State University College of Law. Under the auspices […]
Woes from foreclosure mediation?
Scam artists take advantage of desperate people, and the problems many overstretched homeowners face provide just such an opportunity. Last time, I wrote about the possibilities and challenges in using mediation to help avoid a foreclosure action, in order to serve the interests of both the homeowner and the holder of the loan. It’s important […]
Mediation to help foreclosure woes?
Some observers have noted that mediation could be useful to homeowners and lenders who are caught in the grips of the current foreclosure problems in the residential housing market. Finding a solution that keeps people in their homes and a flow of payments continuing to lenders can be in the best interests of both parties. […]
Merv Griffin and effective communication
Merv Griffin, known best as a talk show host and game show impresario, died last week. His talk show, “The Merv Griffin Show”, was on the air for 20 years. An Associated Press story published last week said that Griffin attributed his success as a talk show in part to his ability to listen. “‘If […]
You and your BATNA (Part III)
Your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) helps you to determine how attractive a proposed negotiated agreement really is by considering what is likely to happen if a conflict is left unresolved. In Part II, I discussed the direct monetary costs that might be considered as part of a BATNA. Especially difficult, yet often […]
