Arbitration & Mediation

Ten New Year's (Dispute) Resolutions for 2010

By Victoria Pynchon

1. I will practice restraint of tongue and pen
2. When my anger flashes, I will pause to remember that behind every accusation is a plea for help
3. When in the midst of a rancorous debate, I will remember to ask for the story behind the opinion
4. I will remember that each of my fellows is struggling with burdens that, if known, would cause me to respond to them with far greater kindness
5. I will remember that I, too, am subject to fundamental attribution error - over-ascribing intention to those whose behavior causes me real or perceived harm and over-ascribing circumstance to any behavior of mine that causes others real or perceived harm
6. I will strive to practice my primary occupational purpose:  to stay emotionally sober and to help others achieve emotional sobriety
7. When I do cause others harm, I will promptly admit my part in it, apologize, make amends and strive to avoid similar behavior in the future
8. Of the primary responses to conflict -- suppression, avoidance, yielding, resolution, transcendence and transformation, I will strive for resolution, transcendence or transformation
9. I will keep in mind that it is usually better to be happy than to be right
10. I will strive to accept the things I cannot change; to rise to the challenge of changing the things I can, and to seek the wisdom necessary to know the difference.

Full post as published by Settle It Now Negotiation Blog on December 31, 2009 (boomark / email).