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 to draft...

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 dishonest. She truly...

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 be funny (and...