Mediating a dispute in Ancient Rome. What do you think? Does it look real or fake?   This month, I’m revisiting AI. Not because it’s trendy, but because how people are using and misusing it is changing fast. What felt theoretical six months ago is now showing up in real workplace disputes. Recently, while catching up on non-urgent emails that piled up during the busy weeks of December, I noticed a flurry of discussion among workplace investigators about employees using AI

Best Practices for Shifting Clients Out of the Victim Mindset   Not long ago, I was mediating a workplace dispute where one participant, “Mara”, came in certain that she had done nothing wrong. Every issue, every misunderstanding, every bit of workplace tension, in her view, stemmed entirely from the other person’s behavior. She was frustrated, hurt, and deeply entrenched in her story of being wronged.   As we talked, it became clear that Mara wasn’t being manipulative or dis

Everything I Know About Gaslighting I Learned From My Teen. (Just Kidding. Sort of.) Like many parents, I’ve had moments when my teenager swears he told me about his plans, or that I never said he needed to pick up his laundry, and for a brief second, I actually start to wonder: Did I imagine that conversation?   That small, disorienting feeling - the moment you question your own recollection of reality - is a glimpse into what it can feel like to be gaslit. And while it can

When Asking for Mediation Doesn't Mean Giving In   A lawyer once told me, “I don’t want to mention mediation first.  I don’t want them thinking I’m desperate to settle or my case is weak.”   I understood exactly what he meant, because I used to think the same way. I used to think suggesting mediation was a potential signal of weakness, like I might be showing my cards too early or giving the other side leverage.   Now, after years of mediating, I see it completely differently

How One Anonymous Tip Sparked a CEO’s Downfall And Why It Matters to Your Workplace   What happened at Nestlé   Nestlé recently dismissed...

Are You Overthinking The CAPTCHA? I was mindlessly scrolling social media and saw a recent Adam Grant post that made me chuckle. Are...

When Good Investigations Go Bad (on Paper) I recently had the chance to take a well-taught course through the Association of Workplace Investigators on writing investigation reports that stand up through every stage right through to litigation. It got me thinking about a few common pitfalls that can creep into even the strongest reports.   Here are five things I try to keep in mind:   1. Blurring the Line Between Facts and Analysis   It’s easy to slip into blending what happe

There's Just Discrimination. On June 5, 2025, the United States Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision holding that discrimination...

May 2025

April 2025 Have you ever walked into a mediation hopeful—and walked out of the opening session wondering if you just made things worse?...

March 2025   If you’ve watched White Lotus, you know that the interactions between guests and hotel staff can be uncomfortable—sometimes...

How Our Brains Shape Workplace Conflict - And Why It Matters to Lawyers   Our brains are storytelling machines. In a recent episode of...

New Year, New Adventures at Mediation Maven!   We’ve made it to Year 3—what a journey it’s been! A huge thank-you to all our early...

Are you ready for the holiday season? With the holidays approaching, I’m the first to admit - I love a good party. I enjoy festive...

Why Pre-Mediation Conferences Work And Why You Should Be Requesting Them About a year ago, I attended a mediation continuing legal...

Even the most skeptical among us can benefit from AI   I must admit, it took several continuing legal education courses on artificial...

The latest blog post from Mediation Maven covers: - Untimely Workplace Investigations - Benefits of Mediation Outside Dispute Resolution -

I hope you are all surviving the month that feels a lot like December but in the Spring.  With over half the month past us, I can see the...

By using an external investigator, a company communicates to a complaining party that they want to ensure an unbiased investigation.

In the process of uncovering facts and resolving conflicts, workplace investigators should strive to meet people where they are.