Arbitration & Mediation

Mediators Puzzle Over Social Media

Posted on November 03, 2008
Social Media- you mean when reporters go for drinks? Honestly, who doesn’t get a little befuddled understanding what social networking is and what it’s good for.  Facebook, Twitter and the array of social bookmarking sites (Digg, Stumbleupon, Kirsty, Fark) all essentially do the same thing...

Your Mediation Practice: Wishful thinking or Sustainable Business?

Posted on October 28, 2008
I’m a big believer in the power of our own dreams.  If you read Mensch at all you know that already.  Being passionate about your work, the people, the future can’t be underestimated, I think.  Believing has gotten me through some pretty hairy moments when people thought I was crazy, a maverick or both...

Three Cool Tech Tools for Mediators

Posted on October 21, 2008
The Internet is a wonderful thing…when it works.   Early on, finding anything I wanted on the internet seemed like a miracle.   Curious about blogs.  Search blogs and up pops articles and tools about blogging.  Curious about how mediation is used by corporations?  Blam…...

International Conflict Resolution Day- Oct 16th!

Posted on October 15, 2008
We’re kicking off the the holiday season with International Conflict Resolution Day!  What is it? The Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) Board of Directors adopted a resolution designating the third Thursday in October annually as Conflict Resolution Day in order to increase public awareness about conflict resolution and its [...

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Sowing the Seeds of Growth in Your Conflict Training Practice

Posted on October 07, 2008
There’s an old sales adage that say good salesmen get excited when they make the first sale, but great salesmen work for the third one. Ok, I hear you saying, "but I’m a mediator not a salesperson."  Ah, wrong.  Before you can rid the world of faulty communication you first have to convince someone to try [...

Mediator, are you silencing yourself?

Posted on September 22, 2008
Mediator have a plethora of good qualities- thoughtful, supportive, openess- just to mention a few.  Two of my favorite attributes are probably not what you’d expect.   I love that mediators are patient and unstressed by ambiguity. The Craft of Silence It’s been my blessing and honor to co-mediate with some of the very best mediators as an [...

ADR Careers Beyond the Table

Posted on September 15, 2008
I have a checkered past.  And, I’m damned proud of it.  I’ve held just about every positon there is within the mediation field, except being an Executive Director. Honestly - Mediator. Trainer. Case Evaluator. Program organizer. You name it, I’ve done it all...

Is Your Website Sticky?

Posted on September 01, 2008
Let’s assume you have a website or blog.  If you don’t already have one, you’re missing out on a tremendous opportunity to inform, influence and educate your market.  And, frankly, with the plethora of site building tools and companies you really have no excuse...

Turning Speaking into Mediating and More, part 2

Posted on August 25, 2008
You’ve selected your ideal market group and delivered a fascinating 20 minute talk that kept the audience engaged and asking questions for another 30 minutes. You’re thrilled and so is the organizer, who looks golden because of all your preparation...

Speaking can lead to mediating and more?part 1

Posted on August 17, 2008
There are a few tried and true ways to get the word out about your mediation practice, and speaking is one of them. Ok, I know that public speaking ranks in the top five of universal fears, but please, people. Get over it. The best way to do that is to start small with [...

Nastia and I both won the Gold!

Posted on August 15, 2008
Whew! ADRPracticebuilder.com re-Launchs today! It was tough getting those finishing touches done while watching the Olympics until 1, but I didn’t want to miss women’s gymnastics. Can you believe Nastia Lukin- wow! Here’s your chance to grab some gold, too...

Mediation Marketing Teleseminar today!

Posted on August 13, 2008
More about that in a minute. Now, I want to talk Olympics. I don’t know about you, but I’m addicted. As the clock nears 11 each night I remind myself that I should go to bed, that I’ll get all the exciting news in the morning. Then, I ignore myself [...

What?s holding you back, Mediators?

Posted on August 11, 2008
Could it possibly be you? I ask because lately in both my professional and personal lives there’s plenty of evidence that people keep themselves from doing the things they love and having what they want. Yesterday, I had an interesting chat with Irina Shea, one of the brightest young lawyers I know and founder of [...

Naming your Mediation Practice

Posted on August 04, 2008
To quote Bill Shakespeare, "What’s in a name? Would not a rose by any other name still smell as sweet?" That’s quite a question, and one that mediators wrestle with when deciding what to name their practices. I remember how much thought I put into naming my very first practice way back in the 90’s...

Workplace Mediaton and Conflict Coaching

Posted on July 31, 2008
You’ve heard me talk many times about unbunding your mediation skills to expand your practice and your income. It’s essential to think of yourself less as a mediator and more as a solution provider. That distinction is especially important if you want to practice in today’s workplace...

Mediation Pricing from Across the Pond

Posted on June 08, 2008
What to charge as a mediator has always been a dicey topic. Just like in mediation itself, the number means so much more than the actual number. What we ask for says quite a bit about who we are as practitioners- new or established, confident or cautious- and how we value our life’s work...

Testing

Posted on June 06, 2008
Just a quick test to diagnose a technical problem.

Let Me Tell You Why So Few Mediators Make Money

Posted on June 06, 2008
This is a question that plagues our profession, don’t you think? It seems a mystery yet the answer is pretty straight-forward. So few mediators make money, in my opinion, because they lack the skills and mindset to be business people first and practitioners second...

Mensch Gets a Blog Makeover

Posted on February 20, 2008
Over 50,000 words. And, that's not even total amount I've written about mediation marketing, online marketing and finding the right niche since 2005, when I launched MediationMensch.com. I look back on those early days so fondly. I felt like a pioneer, braving the new world of the Internet...

Mediation vs Arbitration Clauses- Which to Choose?

Posted on February 12, 2008
Got a Visa card, Mastercard or almost any other credit card? Then you, my friend, are now subject to an arbitration clause. That means you agreed to waive your right to a jury trial should a dispute arise. Same thing with your telephone agreement, health insurance and bank loans, according to Cardratings...

Innovative Marketing by Family Law Mediator/Family Therapist Team

Posted on February 07, 2008
A Day in the Life: Attorney/Mediator and Therapist Mediation Team- Diana Mercer, Esq. and Tara Fass, LMFT 2/11/08 10 am PST/ 1 pm ESTFrankly, I can't wait for Monday's call. The conversation I had with Tara and Diana this week was fascinating. We touched on everything from the usefulness of lawyer referrals to how set fees to their worst marketing mistake (which they graciously agreed to share on the call)...

Learn to Blog- Video Tutorials for Mediators

Posted on February 06, 2008
Seeing is believing. In this case, seeing is learning.Year of the BlogThis is THE year of the blogger for mediators as I proclaimed in an earlier post. And, it's time to get started. I'm planning a blogtasitc event for April that will bring a variety of blogging professionals directly into your home...

Ask Mediation Mensch a Mediation Marketing Question

Posted on February 02, 2008
It's an occupational hazard, and maybe hazardous to my health (you heard about the cat, right?), but I love to ask questions. And, I hope you do, too. Got Questions?I write this blog with the intention of sharing what I know and learn about mediation, online and social media marketing with you...

Ask Mediation Mensch a Mediation Marketing Question

Posted on February 02, 2008
It’s an occupational hazard, and maybe hazardous to my health (you heard about the cat, right?), but I love to ask questions. And, I hope you do, too. Got Questions? I write this blog with the intention of sharing what I know and learn about mediation, online and social media marketing with you...

Blog, Blog, Blog, Mediation Blog World!

Posted on January 28, 2008
2008 is the year of the mediation blog, people!The blogging world is exploding with new ideas, formats, creative uses and money! Mediators, we got to get in now because the popularity and power of blogging is only going to grow.Why Blog?Because blogging is one of the most compelling and egalitarian communication tools around...

Wordpress Enthusiasts get Free Ad Design Work

Posted on January 22, 2008
I'm a bargain hunter and damned proud of it. This is a quick post to introduce those of you interested in starting a blog to Mark Lloyd, web developer and designer. Mark's site, www.MarkLloyd.org, features articles and blog posts that yield great tools and offers...

An Impromptu Blog Review- Theraputic Family Law

Posted on January 20, 2008
Recently B. James Stinson, author of Theraputic Family Law blog, sent a comment and some link love my way. As a small token of thanks, I offered a suggestion or two for improving his site, which has good content but a few design issues. Here’s what I had to say: Hey James, thanks for the terrific [...

Consulting that Builds Mediation Businesses

Posted on January 15, 2008
To paraphrase former President Clinton, it's a business, silly. Not a hobby, a cause or charity. Mediation practice is a business.That's the message that most mediators need to grasp as they grow from new mediator to competent, confident business owner...

Your Plans for 2008- Start NOW!

Posted on January 09, 2008
Stop and ask yourself: what's the one thing I'd like to accomplish this year?Are You Full of It?It's a tough question. Answering requires courage, vision, and most of all discipline. Discipline is where most of us, including me, get stuck. Like most entrepreneurs I'm full of it--good ideas, that is...

An Impromptu Blog Review- Theraputic Family Law

Posted on January 07, 2008
Recently B. James Stinson, author of Theraputic Family Law blog, sent a comment and some link love my way. As a small token of thanks, I offered a suggestion or two for improving his site, which has good content but a few design issues.Here's what I had to say:Hey James, thanks for the terrific comment and the 'link love' to ADRPracticebuilder...

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