#WorkLawWednesday: Conversational Intelligence in the Workplace
We often say you get what you pay for. From this it follows that if you want employees to show up on time and to work harder you have to pay for it. Though offering monetary awards for achieving goals and targets makes…
Resolving Disputes: We Need to Talk!
Dispute resolution seems top of mind lately. Twice during the week of May 9, 2016, I participated in interviews on CBC Radio about how conflicts come to be and solutions for bring them to a successful end. The first interview, on Information Morning…
Ivany 2 Years Later: Can Coaching Help Change Nova Scotia’s Business Culture
On February 12, 2014, the Nova Scotia Commission on building our new economy, headed by Ray Ivany, released its report, “Now or Never: An Urgent Call to Action for Nova Scotians” (the “Ivany Report”). According to Ivany, this Province’s economy is in crisis….
What Matters Most to You in Conflict? Why Clear-sightedness is Critical
People in conflict often lose sight of what matters. As a result, they can forget what they need and cannot act to get what they need. This happens for many reasons. For example, conflict can be emotional. Angry people are not able to…
Gail Gatchalian Moderates Panel on Restorative Justice & Transformative Mediation
On November 27, 2015, Pink Larkin‘s Gail Gatchalian and Stewart McKelvey’s Rebecca Saturley co-moderated an engaging panel on restorative justice and transformative mediation at the 16th Annual Canadian Bar Association’s Administrative Law, Labour and Employment Law Conference in Ottawa. Panelists Jennifer Llewellyn and Paul…
ADR Atlantic Lunch and Learn on Restorative Justice
Pink Larkin was pleased to host the ADR Atlantic Institute Lunch & Learn on October 5, 2015, featuring Professor Jennifer Llewellyn, Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, on “The Dalhousie Dentistry School: A Restorative Justice Case Study.”
The Burden of Unresolved Conflict
In one of my favourite children’s books,[1] a panda named Stillwater teaches a young boy about the burden of unresolved conflict. The boy has had an argument with his brother, and instead of enjoying a day of swimming with Stillwater, the boy continues…
Hostile language in your working world: Step 1, Change your Mindset
Employment law is also known as the law of master and servant. The employer is the master and the employee the servant. However, this view of the working world is the genesis of hostile language and undermines teamwork and productivity. In no area…
Teamwork in Your Working World: The High Cost of Hostile Language
Matthew Lieberman in his book Social, Why our Brains are Wired to Connect states that the brain is actually wired to connect. We are social beings and being social is important for our well-being. Lieberman writes: “neuroscience research indicates that ignoring social well-being…
The Mind: Why We Tend to Avoid Rather Than Resolve Conflict
Bruce Frantzis, an experienced Taoist Marital Artist, asked his students the following question[1]: When you walk towards someone, what walks first, your feet or your mind? For most people it’s “your mind and all that you bring with it.” The anticipation of an…