Another cognitive trap just waiting to spring on you.
Using good process
Good problem-solving process is like a reliable GPS — it orients us to where we are, guides us around obstructions, and helps us reach our destinations. We disagree better when we have a coherent process for organizing information and navigating difficult conversations.
The type of problem that makes conflict resolution harder
That damn gravity.
3 ways to turn adversaries into problem-solving partners
Stop trying to wrangle people into things. It’s way too much work.
Future-proof an agreement with a premortem
No DeLorean needed.
When the win-win solution is obscure
Learn from my pathetic post-grad school salary negotiation.
Sweeping conflict under the rug
What is that bump under the rug?
2 smart principles for resolving everyday disagreements
Not all disagreements require long talks to resolve them sufficiently. Sometimes you can use a pre-agreed principle to get them done and get on with your day. Here are two worth considering for your workplace team or family.
Think with your hands for better problem solving
New research is challenging the notion that thinking, problem solving, and decision making take place strictly in the head. And finally giving me some credibility after years of placing interactive toys in the middle of my mediation table. How do you put 17 animals in four pens in such a way that there is an […]
How starting a difficult conversation is like opening Fibber McGee’s closet
Starting a difficult conversation (or negotiation or mediation) can feel like opening Fibber McGee’s closet — chaotic, overwhelming, and hope-sucking. But don’t run. A colleague shared the closet metaphor with me years ago and I’ve passed it along to countless others since. The messy, over-filled hall closet was a running gag on the 1930s-1950s radio […]
Conflict resolution terms defined
A dispute is not the same as a conflict. Mediation is different from facilitation. I’ve had repeated requests for the language I use to describe and define common conflict resolution terms like these, so here’s the language I use and a PDF download suitable for printing.