The following ideas and articles are intended to be helpful resources for people in conflict.  Many have been written by FS practitioners.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Friday, January 01, 2010 - By David Falk
Imagine an organization stuck in a change process, where leaders continuously try to sell the virtues of change to an increasingly disheartened staff.  Now imagine being invited to lead a workshop with this organization on the topic of embracing change. 

 

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Law Students off to Paris for International Competition

Thursday, December 10, 2009 - By Chris Rukowski, University of Manitoba Public Affairs
Katie Hall and Alison Cathcart, two thrid year law students int he Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba, are traveling to Paris, France, to represent the universtiy in a world mediation advocacy competition in February 2010.

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Taming the Parrot

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 -

By Dave Dyck
Interpersonal conflict actually always involves at least two encounters: there is the encounter with the other (of which we are usually more conscious) and the encounter with the self (of which we are often only dimly aware at best).

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Saying Sorry: The Transformation Challenge

Thursday, November 27, 2008 -


By Janet P Schmidt and Betty Pries   
Participating in conflict is certainly a common human experience.  Whether we commit errors of omission or of commission we all share in the human affliction of making mistakes.  What do we do when our actions hurt others?  How can we learn from our past mistakes rather than go on living in their shadows?  

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The Three C’s of Decision Making

Friday, November 21, 2008 -

By Janet P Schmidt
Decision-making is both about the end decision, and about the process of the making of the decision. Who gets to decide? Who is asked to provide relevant information? Who has access to influencing the decision? How is the decision shared with others?

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The Perspective Check

Friday, November 21, 2008 -

By Janet P Schmidt
Pat and Ray are attending a project management meeting. As Pat is sharing some project design concerns Ray rolls his eyes and whispers something to his colleague/friend beside him. Pat notices the behaviour and assumes that Ray is taking a shot at Pat’s comments. Pat experiences the behaviour as disrespectful and rude. According to our Role Renegotiation Map this moment would be defined as a ‘pinch’.

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Role Renegotiation

Friday, November 21, 2008 -

By Janet P Schmidt
Workplace conflict is often hard to understand. How is it that good people, who enjoy their work and want to do well, can become embroiled in conflict with colleagues whom they care about - conflict that ultimately leaves them feeling frustrated, angry and hopeless?

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Dissecting Direct Talk

Wednesday, November 05, 2008 -

By Kerry Patterson
Why is direct talk bad? I think most of us love the speed and ease with which we conduct a conversation when chatting with trusted and loving friends. With close friends we tend to speak our minds without having to take extra steps to ensure the other person doesn’t become offended or defensive.  Unfortunately, direct talk doesn’t always work and here are the reasons why.

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Once Upon A Conflict: The Journey from Confrontation to Collaboration

Tuesday, November 27, 2007 -

By Gary Harper
In conflict, everyone has a story - and there are at least two sides to every story.  We can better understand these stories by prefacing them with the words "Once upon a time".  Fairy tale archetypes allow us to see the conflict and our roles differently and to find more constructive ways to approach the situation.

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Forgiveness and Mediation

Saturday, July 01, 1995 -

By Janet P Schmidt
As a third party intervener in conflict situations I have often wondered where forgiveness and third party processes intersect.  How does my role as a mediator impact the experience of forgiveness for participants? 

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