From Library JournalThroughout the country, legal dispute mediation is rapidly growing as a cost-effective and sometimes required alternative, or at least a preliminary, to the courtroom settlement of disputes. Human relations expert Potter (Finding a Path with a Heart: How To Go from Burnout to Bliss, Ronin, 1994) has produced a superb guide to mediating disputes that will appeal to many readers, including managers, teachers, parents, and especially those directly involved in mediation such as law enforcement agents and attorneys. Potter's focus here is to give the mediator pragmatic, step-by-step approaches to gathering information, controlling the opposing parties, using active listening and body language, and making a decision about the dispute. This excellent source can serve as a basic training manual for those involved in mediating disputes, and the extensive array of real-life examples of typical scripts that may play out in such situations helps further to clarify these ideas. Developed with business and academic involvement, Potter's handbook is highly recommended, especially for libraries in communities with dispute-resolution centers.?Dale Farris, Groves, Tex.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. "Conflict is not necessarily bad," says bestselling author Beverly Potter. "In fact," she continues, "conflict can be a catalyst for creating interactions that are more satisfying." Realizing this hidden opportunity requires that disputes be handled skillfully, and Potter's well-written, whimsically illustrated manual shows the way. It covers all aspects of dispute resolution-from furniture arrangement and body posture to appropriate techniques of questioning. Numerous scenarios are described and interpreted to aid readers in developing effective resolution skills. It's a valuable addition to the library of any person-business manager, teacher, parent, community leader-who wants to blind more harmonious relationships. -- NAPRA , Vol. 8, NO. 1, 1997From Conflict To Cooperation: How To Mediate A Dispute presents effective techniques for resolving disputes. These are powerful tools for all managers, supervisors, coaches, parents, teachers, neighborhood leaders, police officers, and anyone caught in the middle of other people's disputes. Beverly Potter shows how effective mediators can pull people together to produce creative solutions. Uniquely oriented to the mediator rather than the disputant, From Conflict To Cooperation is a guide containing the keys to building cohesiveness and avoiding the plummeting morale, burnout, and reduced productivity that result from animosities that are not handled effectively. This is a sensible manual showing how to intervene to control hostility while uncovering each party's perspective on the issues involved. It then demonstrates how to mediate an agreement on what should be done, who should do it, and when. With hands-on methods and realistic scenarios adapted from police training designed to handle domestic disputes, and techniques developed at a number of university and corporate environments, From Conflict To Cooperation shows how conflict can be an opportunity, control disputants and avoid outbursts, set a problem solving tone, uncover the nature and scope of the dispute, interview angry people and keep them on track, get disputants to solve their own problems, what to do if mediation fails, and what to do if you yourself are a disputant. -- Midwest Book From the Back CoverConflict - when handled effectively - is an opportunity to clarify expectations, build cohesiveness and create a problem solving atmosphere. From Conflict To Cooperation presents effective techniques for resolving disputes - powerful tools for managers, supervisors, coaches, parents, teachers, friends, counselors, neighborhood leaders, police officers and anyone caught in the middle of other people's disputes. Best selling author, Dr. Beverly Potter, shows how effective mediators can bring people together to produce creative solutions. From Conflict To Cooperation is a sensible manual filled with hands-on techniques, illustrations, and realistic scenarios. This book shows how to intervene to control bickering and hostile outbursts while uncovering how each party sees the issues. Using detailed examples, Dr. Beverly Potter demonstrates how to mediate an agreement between disputants which includes an action plan that specifies what will be done, who will do it and when. what books are public domain From Conflict to Cooperation: How to Mediate a Dispute
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. a practical book on mediationBy Jeffrey LeeperIn this book, anyone wanting to master the skills of mediation would to well to be familiar with this book. It gives a lot of specific guidance and tips that can be easily incorporated into your mediation style.For instance, the book discusses how to set up the seating of the mediation. It tells you where the parties should sit as well as where the mediator should sit in relation to them. Rather than just telling the reader, the author continues to explain why this method of seating works better than the others.The author makes other use of this kind of explanation. She explains body language and phrasing of questions. Not only are there illustrations of this, but she also has dialogues that demonstrate what she means. She also highlights how things can go wrong. Since these dialogues are based in hypothetical business or family situations, the reader is likely to relate.If I had to have a problem with the book, it would be with proofreading. There are quite a few typographical errors in the book. For me, it got a little distracting, but the information in the book is worth it nonetheless.I would recommend this book for help in improving mediation skills.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. "Dwight Ellsworth" is a cross street in Berkeley and NOT ...By Ronin Publishing Inc."Dwight Ellsworth" is a cross street in Berkeley and NOT a person. It is the site of a 20 year neighbor dispute wherein anarchists terrorized the neighbors - with noise, trash, threats. Author of this book and others sued the entity and it closed in 1990. The above "review" is one of the disgruntled who old Potter responsible. She is now writing a memoir about the experience - entitled ANIMAL HOUSE ON ACID. When it came out that she was preparing this work - the death threat started up again.1 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Gotta Keep 'Em SeparatedBy Dwight EllsworthIn my opinion, this was the single lousiest book I have ever read on the subject of conflict resolution. This text is so blatantly in favor of pointless hostility, in my view, that I suspect the author is probably not capable of making it past her own porch without getting in a screaming fight with the neighbors. (And probably stands around in her backyard in a bathrobe screaming at them, too.) In fact, the whole thing seems to have been written by somebody who would prefer to incessantly call the police and file lawsuits against the neighbors than "mediate" a dispute with them. I think it should have been called "Sue Thy Neighbor."