Mediator Communication Competencies: Problem Solving and Transformative Practices (5th Edition) - Softcover

KIMSEY & MCKINNEY

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0536948550 ISBN 13: 9780536948557

Publisher: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2005

Synopsis

Mediation has become in recent years a recognized and valued approach to conflict resolution in innumerable contexts in the United States and abroad. Family, business, school, and even international conflicts are just a few examples of arenas in which mediation produces successful and satisfying outcomes for all involved. At any level of conflict, the success of the mediation process banks on the communication competency of the mediator. Mediator communication competency depends on the mediator’s grasp of both theory and practice. Mediator Communication Competencies: Problem Solving and Transformative Practices fills the need for a book that examines the mediation process from beginning to end. This is the only text on the market that uses theory and practice to explain both problem solving and transformative approaches to mediating. Educators and trainers will appreciate the depth of coverage of theory and practice. What does success look like in problem solving mediation versus transformative mediation? What are the best mediator techniques? How can a mediator be involved in the parties’ dispute but not become a part of the conflict? What standards should be set for mediator professional conduct and effectiveness? Mediator Communication Competencies examines these issues and many more, making it a useful reference for beginners as well as experienced mediators. Mediation professionals will find this text most helpful with specific competencies that assist mediators in improving their skills as third-party neutrals. Emphasis on communication competencies like listening, verbal and nonverbal language, creativity, process, empowerment, recognition, culture, and more will enhance mediator skills in a variety of contexts. The text also examines mediation skills important for engaging parties with differing cultural or ethnic backgrounds; it explores how individuals communicate across cultural boundaries and what improves intercultural mediation skills. This text, which is in its fifth edition, fits: alternative dispute resolution, conflict resolution, general mediation, divorce and family mediation, school mediation, faith-based mediation, court mediation, community mediation, business negotiation and mediation, and more. It is uniquely written so that it can be used in workshops, trainings, and college courses.

About this title

About the Author

William D. Kimsey, Ph.D., is a Professor of Communication Studies at James Madison University. He is a Virginia State certified mediator and a mediator with the Community Mediation Center Harrisonburg. He has published articles on communication, conflict and mediation in Communication Monographs, Mediation Quarterly, Education, Journal of the International Listening Association, Conflict Resolution Quarterly, and more. He is the author of CONFLICTALK, an instrument for measuring youth and adolescent conflict styles. He served as a visiting professor at the Hanoi School of Business teaching Vietnamese business leaders negotiation and mediation and has published articles in Asian Profiles. Bill teaches courses in mediation, communication and conflict, and alternative dispute resolution.

 

Bruce C. McKinney, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He has previously taught at La Salle University, James Madison University, and Angelo State University in Texas. He has published over thirty scholarly articles dealing with mediation and conflict resolution, communication apprehension, and small group decision-making. He has taught Vietnamese business managers negotiation and conflict management skills for the Royal Education Company of Vietnam and the Center for Systems Development at Vietnam National University in Hanoi. He teaches courses in mediation, public relations, and research methods. Bruce is a member of the Mediation Network of North Carolina.

 

Dorothy J. Della Noce, J.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at James Madison University where she directs the Center for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue. She is a Fellow and a founding Board Member of the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation at Hofstra University School of Law. Dorothy has conducted evaluation research on mediation programs for the State of Florida and the United States Postal Service; developed measurements for the United States Postal Service Mediator Assessment Project; and co-coordinated the Practice Enrichment Initiative, a grant-funded project to support mediation training programs throughout the United States and abroad. Dorothy has published numerous articles in legal and ADR journals.  

 

Sallye Trobaugh, is co-owner of Mediation Associates, LLC and a Broker Associate for ERA Kline and May Realty. She has served as a mediator in domestic and business disputes for over twenty years. She is a licensed Real Estate Broker, licensed Virginia Real Estate Instructor, Certified Residential Broker, a Certified Ethics Instructor, Education Director for ERA Kline and May Realty, and is a trainer in real estate negotiation, mediation and problem solving facilitation. She has published in Conflict Resolution Quarterly. Sallye is a speaker and workshop leader for community and faith based organizations on topics related to setting healthy boundaries in business, marriage, and family; dealing with difficult people; integrity selling; professional communication; and more.

 

Review

NIACR (National Institute for Advanced Conflict Resolution) Newsletter Pennsylvania edition May 2006 www.niacr.org

Mediator Communication Competencies: Problem Solving and Transformative Practices William D. Kimsey, Bruce C. McKinney, Dorothy J. Della Noce, Sallye S. Trobaugh

This textbook, now in its fifth edition, fills the need for a book that examines the mediation process from beginning to end. Although written so that it can be used in workshops, trainings, and college courses, it also is of value to professional mediators who are seeking an in depth understanding of problem solving and transformative approaches to mediating. In short, this work is a very useful reference for beginners as well as experienced mediators.

 

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Mediation On-Line

A Newsletter from ADR Resources
http://adrr.com/adr9/073.htm
Volume 8, #5 (Year's End 2005)
Reviewed by Stephen Marsh

Mediator Communication Competencies:  Problem Solving and Transformative Practices (5th Edition)
William D. Kimsey, Bruce C. McKinney, Dorthy J. Della Noce, Sallye S. Trobaugh
Pearson Custom Publishing (Boston Massachusetts, 2005)

This is a cleanly laid out textbook.  With 13 chapters it would fit exactly into a sixteen week semester, once time for roleplays, mid-terms/finals and simulations is factored in.

Each chapter begins with the bullet points for the skills and knowledge a student should gain from the chapter.  Each chapter ends with not only a summary, but with a collection of relevant references. The text itself leads one from an introduction to the subject matter, through ADR to the transformative model.

If you are teaching potential H.R. students, civilians working on government contracts, or anyone involved in the Post Office model, this text will fit your exact needs.  It shows the polish and refinement one would expect from a fifth edition, and has been ruthlessly edited for clarity and usefulness.  Not a page is wasted.

Use this book in connection with http://www.mediate.com/articles/cohen7.cfm if you have any interest in federal sector mediation.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pearson Learning Solutions
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0536948550
• ISBN 13: 9780536948557
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 5
• Number of pages: 156