The Better Conflicts Audio Experience

Stay Quiet. Protect the Group. Save Reputations.

The Groupthink mantra.

It is hard to stress just how destructive this trait can be within teams and organisations.

In this podcast, Dr Andy Grossman and Susanne Schuler tackle the following questions:

If you would like to schedule your free Conflict Consultation, you can do so here.

A fantastic question and one we have broken down into two parts.

Part Two, in this podcast, looks at those situations where the other side is talking, but they are being very uncooperative or not saying much.

Part One (Episode 12), looked at when people blanketly refuse to talk and how you can open up dialogue in those circumstances. It can be accessed here.

Thank you to Neil Goodrum for submitting this question.

"How do you talk to someone who does not want to talk to you."

A fantastic question and one we have broken down into two parts.

Part One, in this podcast, will look at when people blanketly refuse to talk and how you can open up dialogue in those circumstances.

Part Two (Episode 13) will address those situations where the other side is talking, but they are being very uncooperative or not saying much.

Thank you to Neil Goodrum for submitting this question.

The CEDR Interview Series on the challenges within Diversity and Inclusion aims to empower society to hold powerful dialogues. We will hold discussions with a broad spectrum of people, each with unique and powerful skillsets and experiences when it comes to addressing issues surrounding discrimination in all forms.

“Faith leadership is the resource for humanising and reconciling the world we live in.” (K. Raval)

In Episode 4, Francine Stock interviews Krish Kumar Raval, director of Faith in Leadership, a U.K.-based organization founded in 2007 to create an inclusive community of public and private leaders working together on initiatives for the benefit of all people, on particular challenges - and advantages - of working with faith leaders.

In an impactful conversation Krish and Francine explore reasons why there is an apparently increasing sensitivity in so many areas of life to any questioning of a position of conviction and how to avoid parties becoming defensive.

Krish speaks about the importance of leadership as a relationship and why it is important to make people confident enough to show vulnerability and how to do that. He reveals techniques and practices to build common ground and dialogue even for people who would appear initially to hold opposing values.

This interview series is part of CEDR’s not-for-profit Foundation activity which undertakes cutting edge alternative dispute resolution research and innovation as well as addressing key issues facing wider society.

If you would like to get involved in this interview series, either to submit a question or be part of the live audience in future episodes, contact Frederick Way, Head of CEDR Foundation at [email protected].

Creativity and innovation within teams and organisations rely on people feeling encouraged and able to voice ideas and make mistakes without fear of retribution, exclusion or ridicule.

Fundamental to achieving this is the creation of Safe-to-Fail Spaces or a Safe-to-Fail culture.

We spoke to Susanne Schuler (Director of Training and Consultancy, CEDR) and Dr. Andy Grossman (Principal Consultant, CEDR), both of whom regularly work with international organisations and teams to improve their innovative and creative potential.

This episode of #askanegotiator is a little different from the others.

While we normally ask Philip Williams a negotiation question, this time, we reflect on the pre-podcast sausage roll ritual and the powerful influencing and persuasion lesson it holds.

To give you a quick taster, when negotiating sieges during his time as a Hostage and Crisis Negotiator, Philip would often receive hostages in return for cigarettes, coffee or food...

A human life for a cigarette...

Have you been in a situation with a colleague, a client or perhaps a friend where the pressure has piled on and you haven't reacted well?

Maybe you fired off a snarky email, snapped in a meeting, missed a crucial detail or were overwhelmed and unable to function.

It's not uncommon and yet the consequences of performing poorly under pressure can be huge for you, your team and your organisation.

Luckily, this podcast gets to the heart of this.

Submitted by Ian Vickers, the two-part question that Phil tackles is:

Is the art of remaining calm under extreme pressure, such as in hostage and crisis negotiations, innate, or can it be learned? Are rehearsals enough OR is there a pre-requisite of being able to think clearly on your feet - 'winging it'?

Drawing on his experience of working with special forces, Phil shares practical advice on managing adversity and helping you to avoid, what he calls, sub-optimal outcomes.

In this podcast on Trust, Wills and Probate Mediation, CEDR has teamed up with Withersworldwide to look in-depth at mediating in this sector. Hosted by Ben Thomson, the podcast includes three experts who bring different perspectives to the field:

Dawn Goodman, Senior Counsel at Withersworlwide and CEDR-Accredited Mediator

Lauren McGuirl, Director of Commercial Disputes CEDR (formerly Senior Associate, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer)

Nick Pearson, CEDR Chambers Mediator (formerly Head of the Global Dispute Resolution Practice at Baker McKenzie)

With all three experts either practising or formerly practising litigators, the aim of the podcast is to share insights on how lawyers can be more effective when mediating Trust, Wills and Probate cases as well as providing the perspective and advice of those managing and resolving disputes in this space.

What is the one thing people miss in negotiation every time?

In this episode of #askanegotiator, Philip Williams draws on the teachings of Ancient Greece to help you understand how you can be more persuasive in your negotiations. 

During the podcast, Philip uses a particular advert to illustrate his point. It can be viewed here.

The CEDR Interview Series on the challenges within Diversity and Inclusion aims to empower society to hold powerful dialogues. We will hold discussions with a broad spectrum of people, each with unique and powerful skillsets and experiences when it comes to addressing issues surrounding discrimination in all forms.

"Meeting the other is simply rich" - N.Erradi

In Episode 3, Francine Stock interviews Noureddine Erradi, Founder of IFA (Integration For All), about issues concerning immigration, integration, and intercultural dialogue and how to deradicalize someone. Noureddine says about himself that he is a facilitator of difference, often radical difference. In this interview, Noureddine will reveal how this experience has helped him to develop a method he is working with today to disengage radicalised people from extremism. He calls it “The Other side of the Medal”, in which he applies “the getting out of the box " thought.

In an effort to promote intercultural understanding and dialogue, Noureddine has directed and produced Six award-winning documentary films in which European teachers, administrators, and policymakers participated in a simulated integration programme.

These films have been presented worldwide and they are now used in more than 900 European Organizations.

This interview series is part of CEDR’s not-for-profit Foundation activity which undertakes cutting edge alternative dispute resolution research and innovation as well as addressing key issues facing wider society.

If you would like to get involved in this interview series, either to submit a question or be part of the live audience in future episodes, contact Frederick Way, Head of CEDR Foundation at [email protected].