New Courage; New Opportunity In these challenging economic, social, and political times, there are emerging new ideas, new paradigms, new courage, and new hope. When circumstances look their bleakest, when it appears we are regressing or progressing deeper into chaos and conflict, we begin reading and hearing about new concepts emerging or old concepts being given new life. When we hear that the government is using facilitation and mediation in all aspects of beaurocracy, when judges are mandating mediation prior to trial, when potential business partners actually discuss their feelings and fears prior to contracts, when businesses believe the gap between employer and employee can be bridged, when feuding family members sit down and dialogue regarding probate issues, when victims and offenders of crimes face each other and share feelings, then we know that something significant is going on. There is a cultural shift in process. It is about listening in a way that acknowledges-not necessarily agrees with--each other. When emotions are involved, this is not easy. And emotions are always involved in human dynamics, to some degree. When that degree clouds our thinking, a third-party neutral is a resurfacing age-old method of raising the level of responsibility for each party's dialogue. A third-party neutral: Is a tempering influence Perceives the underlying dynamics Asks appropriate questions Gets to the heart of the matter Keeps parties on track Influences parties toward their own resolution Assists parties in recording future intentions Follows up to ensure follow-through It is our choice to continue business as usual or to draw on the professional experience available to clear out the emotional barriers to efficiency and clear the way for the flow of personal dynamics necessary for success. Eileen Charles Hyatt Reaching Accord Facilitation . Mediation . Conflict Coaching eileen@reachingaccord.com 303.321.0637 www.reachingaccord.com © 2002-2005 Reaching Accord. All Rights Reserved. Reprinting this article: You are welcome to reprint, copy, or distribute this article, provided this copyright notice and a link to www.reachingaccord.com is included < return to homepage < return to news