Envoy Learning: We film as we roam, you learn wherever you wish.
Video shorts. Taking the work seriously, not ourselves.
Video shorts. Taking the work seriously, not ourselves.
While we often feel powerless, we rarely are: we always have the option to shift to a different base of power. Drawing from French and Raven’s early work in defining types of power, Scott uses a single location in the heart of London to illustrate the four types of positional and four types of personal power that can be drawn on in negotiations and mediations.
You haven’t had time to do our full Conflict Resolution program yet, so here’s your cheatsheet from Roger while on a break from a mediation in London.
Ask open questions… get to the heart of the issue.
Build rapport… empathise, be kind, give some trust.
Listen rather than hear… find what’s behind the answer.
Conflict escalation works the same way between individuals as it does between nation-states. Here, we discuss the positive-feedback-loop aspect of conflict escalation and the exaggerated steps (and self-awareness) needed to reverse its dynamic. And we recognize that “who started it” analysis is fruitless in its returns.
The challenge with “confidential” meetings is that - if we respect confidentiality - it’s hard to use the information discussed. At the other extreme, “on-record” meetings risk individuals not speaking their full opinions for fear of retribution. The “Chatham House Rule” navigates a middle-ground of non-attribution.
A core step in negotiations and conflict resolution is to determine the objective facts of an issue and separate them from the subjective interpretations of issues. That pool of facts gives a framework for discussions to take place. In the age of Generative AI, when imagery and text can be created in fractions of seconds to appear as “primary sources”, we need to focus more on validating data and evidence before starting good faith negotiations.
When creating environments for mediation or negotiation, analysis the space through the lens of symbols, artifacts, and rituals. We illustrate the concept through the communications of the Office of the President of Ukraine. Let the stagecraft carry some of the weight of the message.