mediatorinthemaking.com

The following is a selective listing of Boston area mediation, conflict resolution and negotiation trainings and events for April and May 2008.

Find additional training listings at Mediation Works, Inc. (basic training or advanced) and the Harvard Program on Negotiation.

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April 9, 2008 2pm to 4pm
ADR Professions Colliding:
Addressing the Tension Between Mediation and Collaborative Practice
from Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation, Inc.
Presenters: Lynda J. Robbins, Esq., and Karen J. Levitt, Esq.

Location: Arnold Room, Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA

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April 13 - 16, 2008
International Ombudsman Association Annual Conference
3rd Annual Conference of IOA: “Making a Difference-The Ombudsman Impact”
The Boston Park Plaza Hotel, Boston, MA

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April 16, 2008 8:30 - 10am
(Continental Breakfast at 8am)
Dispute Resolution Forum
from Harvard Law School and the Program on Negotiation
Speaker: Rikk Larsen, mediator, trainer, conflict coach, Managing Partner at Howell Larsen Associates, founding partner of Elder Decisions

Location: John Chipman Gray Room, 2nd Floor, Pound Hall

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April 17, 2008 2pm - 5:30pm
Assessing and Addressing Power Imbalances:
Abusive Relationships and the Collaborative Process
from Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council
Presenter: Professor Margaret Drew, University of Cincinnati College of Law

Location: The Walker Center, 171 Grove Street, Newton, MA

Attendance is limited, so register early at Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council
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April 28, 2008 9am - 4pm
Managing Conflict in the Workplace
from Cape Mediation
$150.00($125 by 3/28)

Location: Willy’s World Wellness & Conference Center in North Eastham

“Workplace conflict is inevitable … Learn a proven problem-solving model
and practical skills to help deal with conflict between staff, management, and customers.”

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May 2-9, 2008
CDSC Basic Mediation Training
from Community Dispute Settlement Center

Location: CDSC, 60 Gore Street, East Cambridge, MA
Cost: $695 ($650 if registration recvd. by April 3)

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May 21, 2008 11:30am to 2pm
(Social Time 11:30am to 12pm)
Overcoming Impasse – Tools to Empower Parties to Reach Agreements
from Mediation Works, Inc.
Presenters: Chuck Doran and Josh Hoch

Intended Audience: MWI Court and Divorce Panel Members
“Participating in mediation can be difficult for parties. After time, impasse can seem too difficult to overcome. Join Chuck and Josh for some advanced mediation skill training as they share techniques and discuss strategies for empowering parties to be able to overcome impasse, stay focused, and reach agreement.”

I am enjoying reading my peer mediation student’s blog over at Better Than Misery.

The latest post, Newsflash: No money in mediation,  of course caught my attention.

I can relate to this:

I think it has to do with the general public learning what it means and why its beneficial. Lately I have been thinking about alternative kinds of manifestations of my conflict management degree, including online dispute resolution projects.

You might have read me wondering here if most careers are careers in conflict resolution, and if conflict is just too sexy for most people to care to resolve rather than fight to the win/lose bitter end.

It amazes me to read a mediation student in Israel writing thoughts and experiences so similar to my own in the U.S. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one exploring these questions right now.

When working for my undergrad, I felt like I was going at light-speed with the knowledge that I would reach the light at the end of the tunnel, my professional life would start and my work would pay off. Seems like sometimes we mediation students feel like we could just be spinning our wheels.

Partly because I’m not doing the professional work I expected with my undergrad,  I’m ok with not knowing where this mediation work will lead. I know I really enjoy it, I seem to have aptitude for it, I’m finding opportunities as I go, and I’m using these skills every day in both professional and personal settings.

Any other mediation students out there? Pros who’ve been there? What are your thoughts?

I’m developing a rhythm of posting upcoming Boston area mediation trainings and events in the middle of every month. I expect each post to focus on the upcoming six weeks.

For recent or more immediately upcoming events, please visit my posts under the Training and Events category.

To list your event in my roundups, please email me.

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March 1 - April 5
(March 1, 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 5, 2008: Saturdays 9-5 and Tuesdays 3-9)
Basic Mediation Training
Sponsored by The Mediation & Training Collaborative (TMTC)

Location: Northampton, MA
Fee: $575 - Registration deadline February l5
For more information, 413-774-7469 x16 or shackney@communityaction.us

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March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (Fridays, 9am to 4pm)
Intensive Mediation Workshop: Getting Others to Yes
Management Assistance Program in collaboration with Mediation Works, Inc.
Presenters: Charles P. Doran, Josh Hoch, Moshe Cohen, Diane Levin

“… help others to successfully resolve conflicts … effectively facilitate the mediation process … lectures, demonstrations, interactive exercises, supervised role-plays and group discussions. Previous completion of negotiation skills training is helpful … Participants are required to attend all five sessions.”

Location: JRI Health Center for Training and Professional Development
25 West Street, 3rd Flr, Boston, MA 02111
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Wednesday, March 5, 2008 5:30pm to 8:00pm
A Look at Non Violent Communication
Presenter: Scott Loring

Social time 5:30pm to 6:00pm
Intended Audience: MWI Court and Divorce Panel Members

Nonviolent Communication (NVC), developed by Marshall Rosenberg … examines the unmet needs behind what we say or do. The process transforms relationships with others and with one’s self … fosters respect, attentiveness and empathy, and engenders a mutual desire to give from the heart.

Location:
Fee:

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March 5, 2008 9am-4:30pm
Workplace Conflict Resolution Skills Training for Managers and HR Professionals
Presented by Agreement Resources, LLC: employment attorney Leslie Lockard and mediator Crystal Thorpe

Location: Norwood, MA
Fee: $495 by February 8, 2008, or $520 thereafter (includes lunch and materials)
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Thursday, March 6, 2008 9am - 4pm
Advanced Negotiation Skills for Dispute Resolution Professionals
Presenters: Moshe Cohen and Ericka Gray, OptionBridge

“… beyond “Getting to Yes” to a deeper exploration of the psychological factors that enter into negotiation, different styles of negotiation, and how to assist parties in understanding how their own negotiation styles are contributing to impasse.”

Location: TBA
Fee: $195 until 2/14, $220 after

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Thursday, March 6, 2008 2pm to 5:30pm
Assessing and Addressing Power Imbalances: Abusive Relationships and the Collaborative Process
Presented by: Mass Collaborative Law Council, Professor Margaret Drew, University of Cincinnati College of Law

Welcomed particiapnts: lawyers, mental health professionals, mediators, financial specialists and other professionals interested in collaborative practice.

Location: The Walker Center, 171 Grove Street, Newton, Massachusetts
Limited space. Register at www.massclc.org

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March 12, 15, 16, 19, 26, 29, 30, 2008
Forty-Hour Mediation Training Program
Presented by: Mediation Works, Inc.
(weekend & weeknight program) seven sessions / 40-hours total

“… designed to prepare participants to effectively facilitate the mediation process … explores all aspects of the mediation process through lectures, demonstrations, interactive exercises, supervised role-plays and group discussions.”

Location: Suffolk University Law School,120 Tremont Street, Boston, MA
Fee: $775 ($725 if enrolled a month in advance)

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March 28, 29, 31, April 4
Divorce Mediation Training
Presented by: Community Dispute Settlement Center

“This 24 hour course … integrates substantive information with practice through interactive role playing experience. Prerequisite: Basic Mediation Training.”

Location: CDSC Offices, 60 Gore St., East Cambridge (near Lechmere T, Galleria, courthouses)
Fee: $695 ($675 early registration by Mar. 14) See website for additional discounts.

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Ongoing training.

Community Dispute Settlement Center
Mediation Practicum

Mediation Works, Inc.
MWI Mentor Program

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Select future events.

April 13 - 16, 2008
International Ombudsman Association Annual Conference
3rd Annual Conference of IOA: “Making a Difference-The Ombudsman Impact”
The Boston Park Plaza Hotel, Boston, MA

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UPDATE 2/16/08

A couple of events have popped up. March 7-8 Harvard Negotiation Law Review (HNLR) 2008 Symposium: Dispute Systems Design Across Contexts and Continents and March 8-29 36-hr Training in Mediation and Conflict Resolution.

Monster and CareerBuilder searches for Boston area jobs with the keywords “mediation, mediator, conflict resolution” return hundreds of jobs. Hundreds. And yet, as I’ve described in recent posts, the field of mediation is described as an overcrowded field terribly difficult to break into (and with a very bright future should you break in).

What’s happening here? The jobs are vastly different. An Administrative Assistant position at Northeastern University’s Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. Lots of Human Resources Manager positions calling for, among other things, effective conflict resolution skills. Ditto for Project Managers at places as different as State Street Corporation and The TRANE Company. Labor Relations Manager for the American Red Cross. Customer service and support roles also abound. Organizational Development and Learning Consultant for Partners Healthcare.

The trends I’ve been able to spot in these seemingly disparate jobs are that the greatest concentration of them are in management. And most of them include requirements of strong negotiating and effective communication skills, in addition to conflict resolution or mediation.

My questions far outnumber my observations at this point.

Does today’s workplace require all professionals, at least all managers, to be skilled in the arts of conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation and communication? That would be fabulous. Though my experience is that such skills are seen as happy bonuses in professionals adept at skills more directly related to the work on their desks.
But if this is becoming the new universal requirement … How could this change the conflict resolution and mediation professional fields? Will it push such professionals to develop their respective fields more deeply? Force even more focus on training than practice?

Where are all of these professionals learning their skills? Are they all dedicating 40 hours to basic mediation training? Online courses promising to turn them into skilled mediators in a few short hours and without those pesky other people? I know a lot of mediators find their bread and butter in training … mediator courses, on-site corporate trainings, one-on-one coaching. Perhaps that is where true growth lies.

I’ll need to do more research and watch the job markets closely to understand much more than I now do. In the meantime I look forward to hearing from folks out there already thinking about these questions and more.

Lots happening in the Boston mediation community! Here’s a roundup of opportunities coming up this month and next.

And you can find nationwide listings here.
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Thursday, January 10, 2008 * 10 a.m. PST/ 1 p.m. EST
Is There Hidden Passive Income in Your Practice?
Stop Trading Time for $$$-Create Passive Income with Jan Marie Dore
ADR Practice Builder teleseminar

Sure, you can toil daily to make your hourly rate, but wouldn’t you rather make money with less effort? You can. Information products are a boon to mediators. You can educate your market about the benefits of mediation while creating a small income stream to support you.
Jan Marie Dore, founder of Femalepreneurs.com will share her insights on:

• Why information products are so valuable to service providers
• How to get over ‘I’m not an expert’ syndrome & really help people
• Finding the products you already created
• How to set prices that sell and more!

Tuition: $19 Members, $34 Non-Members before 12/31- $39 Jan 1
All registrants receive an audio recording as a bonus after the call.
Learn more and Register online.
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Tuesday, January 15, 2008 * 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
NE-ACR 2008 New Year’s Resolution Event
Suffolk University Law School, 120 Tremont Street, Boston

Come celebrate the New Year and hear some of your colleagues perform an acoustic “unplugged” set of songs that will keep you warm all winter long! With special musical guests “The New Trolls” (Featuring Chuck Doran, Jack Esher and David Hoffman)

Fees: $25 for members, $30 for nonmembers, and $20 for students.

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January 24, 2008 * 9 am - 4 pm
Dealing With High Emotions in Mediation
Boston University Conference Center at Tyngsboro

In this interactive and experiential workshop, learn the essentials of dealing with activated and demonstrated emotions during mediation. Examine both the participants’ emotional reactions to the negotiation process and the mediator’s reactions. Discover how to handle situations based on the reactions you observe in others and what you feel. Understand the psychological underpinnings of both real and strategic emotional reactions.
Trainers: Moshe Cohen and Ericka B. Gray, OptionBridge
Registration Fee: $195 until January 14, 2008, $220 thereafter
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Tues, January 29, 2008 * 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Conflict Resolution Skills Training for Eldercare Professionals & Nurses: Working with Families in Conflict
The Walker Center, 171 Grove Street, Newton, MA

Goals of the training are to help professionals:

• Facilitate multi-party decision-making
• Work with parties with strong emotions
• Build Conflict Resolution skills

Recommended for professionals who work with multiple family members making difficult decisions.

Elder Decisions
Register online
Cost: $195 six weeks prior to event; $225.00 thereafter (lunch included)
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February 6-7, 2008 * 9:00 – 5:00
Elder Mediation Training: An Advanced Training Program for Mediators
The Walker Center, 171 Grove Street, Newton, MA

Elder mediation helps seniors and their adult children resolve conflicts around issues such as living arrangements, caregiving, financial planning, inheritance/estate disputes, medical decisions, family communication, driving, and guardianship.
This program will familiarize mediators with the types of issues they may encounter when working with seniors and their families. It also will address some of the differences between elder mediation and other types of mediation. Topics include:

• Elder Mediation
• Challenges of Aging
• Legal Planning
• Multi-Party Role Play
• Marketing your Elder Mediation Practice

Elder Decisions
Register online
Cost: $595 Includes lunches, snacks, and course materials
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Monday, February 11, 2008 10 a.m. PST/ 1 p.m. EST
Multi-disciplinary Practice Benefits Parties and Practitioners
Day in the Life: Attorney/Therapist Mediation Team
ADR Practice Builder telesiminar

Any mediator knows that there are times when two heads are better than one, and you really wish one head was a therapist. As practitioners we know how helpful having another set of eyes and ears can be but how to we make that work in our practices? How do we convince clients to incur the expense?
Diana and Tara, partners in www. Peace-Talks.com will share their knowledge and experiences working as an attorney/therapist team resolving divorce and family matters. We’ll talk with this veteran team about:

• How they got their start
• How to avoid pitfalls and build a robust practice
• What to do or say to get past client resistance

Diana Mercer, Esq. and Tara Fass, LMFT
Tuition: $19 Members, Non-Members $34 before 12/31 $39 Jan. 1
All registrants receive an audio recording of the call as a bonus after the call.
Register online
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February 12, 2008 * 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
MWI Mediator Social Gathering
McFadden’s - 148 State Street, Boston
Intended Audience: MWI Court and Divorce Panel Members

Roundtable Description: Join MWI staff, mediators, and trainers for a social and informal evening of mingling and conversation at McFadden’s Bar in Boston. While enjoying a discounted cash bar, make new friends and share mediation stories. Lite snacks will be served. Stop by for a short time or stay for all three hours. Guests are welcome. McFadden’s is located behind MWI at 148 State Street. The back room will be reserved for MWI.
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Stay tuned for anther mediation trainings and events roundup for March & April.

Stop. Where are you now?

During a Facilitative Leadership course, whenever any of us students suddenly appeared lost while practicing our new skills for leading productive conversations and building consensus, our coach would say these very helpful words. Immediately we were centered. We then could explore our actions, our purpose and our goals, and jump back in to the situation with a new and more productive approach.

I’ve found these words to be incredibly useful in conflict and potential conflict situations.

I quietly say these words to myself. When I find myself in a conversation which could become a conflict; when mediating, counseling or coaching parties in conflict, I can use these words to find my center. Examine with care my actions, purpose and goals, and jump back in … in control of myself and able to guide the situation productively.

Whether I find myself getting heated or need to ensure that I remain empathic and patient in the face of another’s building tension, this twist on the old ‘counting to ten.’

Try it yourself and see how many times you can turn a potential conflict into an opportunity to strengthen your relationship … and yourself.