Author Archives: abfifer

Evaluating Another Public Apology

March 30, 2013 – 1:30 pm

Helping people make effective apologies is part of being a mediator and conflict coach, so it’s instructive to evaluate apologies. We had another public example this week from former CIA Director General David Petraeus, who began his speech to a group of veterans Tuesday with these prepared words: “Needless to say, I join you keenly […]

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Guns in Mediation

February 1, 2013 – 3:41 pm

The nightmare that mediators have long dreaded has come true: a mediation party pulled out a gun this week and shot the other party at the close of a mediation. The parties had a contract dispute, and the plaintiff, a man named Arthur Harmon, had sued the defendant, Steven Singer, for $17,000. The mediation took […]

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Learning About Mediation from Being a Participant

January 22, 2013 – 1:47 pm

I had a unique mediation opportunity to last week: I was a participant (defense attorney) in a mediation. Here are eight things I learned about mediation: 1. It can be useful for the mediator to meet with the attorneys just before the start of the mediation. This gave the mediator an opportunity to hear each […]

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Forgive Your Daughter’s Murderer?

January 7, 2013 – 3:51 pm

Forgiveness intrigues and intimidates me. I have trouble forgiving the clerk who charged me for a double latte when I got just a single, so the thought of forgiving someone who has committed a crime is intimidating. Jesus warned his followers that, if they didn’t forgive others’ offenses, God would not forgive them their own […]

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Michigan’s New Mediator Standards of Conduct Approved

December 29, 2012 – 2:55 pm

After three years and several iterations, the new Standards of Conduct for Mediators have been approved by Michigan’s State Court Administrator, and will go into effect February 1, 2013. I’ve been involved with this project from the beginning, and it’s been an interesting ride. I blogged about it in November 2011, and again in May […]

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