This is what I do when I lead mediations.
I start with "storytelling". Using this non-threatening term I ask the parties to explain the situation from their point of view. The other party listens, takes notes, and doesn't respond... yet. They will have their turn. Then, the other party has a chance to tell their "story". Storytelling is followed by brainstorming, a chance for all in the room to suggest ideas that will go up on a flip chart... they may be bad or impartial ideas, that isn't the point. The point is to allow the parties to suggest proto-solutions in a way that doesn't mandate the other party to be defensive. By defusing defensiveness, mutually-agreeable solutions are nearly always possible. Chris From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dr. Ernest Prabhakar Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 4:08 PM To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [RC] The Torah Hi Billy, On Sep 19, 2013, at 3:01 PM, [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> wrote: Some who are sympathetic to the site's cause wonder if its popular approach might backfire. "What they may discover is that in an attempt to answer the arguments, they're going to create more skeptics than they will answer," said Wolpe. I'm reminded of one of the most powerful lessons from recent study of cognitive biases: a) If you force people to defend their views, their biases becomes stronger b) If you ask people to explain their views, their biases become weaker If you really want to change a community's viewpoint, don't assert your own views. Rather, create a safe place where people are encouraged to articulate their own. -- Ernie P. -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
