​This past July my wife and I had the opportunity to hike a portion of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. For eight days we walked an average of 25 km per day in 40-degree Celsius heat. While the experience was physically challenging, it was spiritually rejuvenating and rewarding.

In a recent blog post I focused on ten signs that your mediation may be headed for trouble. One of those indicators was power imbalance.

Advances in technology have revolutionized the way we communicate and, to a large extent, relegated face-time to the virtual world. We rely on our devices – computers, tablets, smartphones – to communicate.

Mediation presents an opportunity for disputing parties to engage in purposeful dialogue that can effect change. Changes in opinion, understanding and perspective can have a groundbreaking impact on the mediation process and the outcome of negotiations. Below, I discuss three mediation game changers and their potential impact on effecting change.

One of the most interesting parts of my job as a mediator is the opportunity to connect with an endlessly diverse clientele - it’s also one of the most challenging.

Negotiations can go bad in a hurry for any number of reasons - clashing personalities, inflated egos, misunderstandings, incompatible priorities, negative emotions.