In this one hour live webinar, Catherine Conner will talk about how to use the Understanding Based model in different ways when working with people in conflict and how to build a professional practice that reflects your aspirations.

In this one hour webinar, Katherine Miller talks about some things to do to avoid getting so stuck it feels unmovable and what to do if you get there.

This one-hour long webinar will offer tips and tools to help you maneuver through conflict situations when emotions are high.

For decades we have known that interest-based negotiation is more effective and efficient than competitive negotiation. The challenge is in eliciting what is most important to parties and then anchoring the discussion around those interests. In this one hour webinar, Katherine Miller discusses how to use interests to create a ground of understanding that can truly support the end game.

In this encore presentation of the August 23, 2016 webinar on Why Bringing People Together in Conflict Works, Gary Friedman and Katherine Miller talk about why the understanding model of mediation with no-caucus works so well to help people go through conflict rather than simply communicate through intermediaries to get them to an agreement.

In this one hour webinar, Katherine Miller discusses what might you be missing and what can you do differently that will enable you to help your clients solve their problems and bring you greater job satisfaction.

In this webinar, Gary Friedman and Catherine Conner will discuss positive neutrality, moving towards each party to strengthen the mediator's connection to and understanding of each party.

In this one hour webinar, Katherine Miller discusses techniques for brainstorming and then evaluating options that keep parties working together toward a resolution that truly works for all.

This CUC Connect Premium Member Only webinar session is the opportunity for CUC Connect Premium members to ask questions, share quandaries and get personal support from CUC instructors.  Free for CUC Connect Premium Members, but registration is required.

Catherine Conner and Katherine Miller discuss the 6 Underlying Concepts of the Understanding-Based model in this webinar.

Gary Friedman and Catherine Conner discuss judgments and turning them into curiousity to help advance the conflict resolution process.

In this webinar, Katherine Miller will discuss why and how to bring law into the room.

In this webinar, we focus on race and culture in conflict.

In this webinar, we discuss working in the same room and how to deal with requests for private meetings.

In this webinar, Catherine Conner and Gary Friedman discuss the role of the conflict professional in bringing awareness to the effect of gender and addressing dynamics that are related to the gender of the people in the room.

In this webinar, Gary Friedman and Katherine Miller discuss the process of moving to an agreement, including looking at the readiness of the parties, how to create and work with packages, and the dynamics that can flare up.

In this webinar, Gary Friedman and Katherine Miller will describe the types of patterns that are commonly found in conflict and how to work with the patterns to help people approach their conflict in a new way.

You have taken a mediation training and want to add mediation to your existing practice or want to start a new mediation practice, but what about the business side of mediation?  In this webinar, Catherine Conner will discuss the following and more: How to create an engaging first impression Staffing (or not) An inviting physical […]

One of the challenging but critical skills of a conflict professional is the ability to be fully present and aware in the midst of conflict.  Do you find yourself distracted by judgments, drawn to push parties to what seems to be the best solution, or reacting when triggered by someone’s behavior?  In this webinar, Gary […]

 This CUC Connect Premium and VIP Member Only webinar session is the opportunity for CUC Connect Premium and VIP members to ask questions, share quandaries and get personal support from CUC instructors.  Free for CUC Connect Premium and VIP Members. What: Member Only Open Forum Date: Tuesday March 12, 2018 When: 11 am Pacific, 12 […]

One of the initial tasks in starting a mediation or other conflict engagement process is to determine how the conflict professional(s) and parties are going to work together.  Some conflict professionals have their standard set of ground rules and procedures that are presented to the parties for them to follow.  Our approach is to reach […]

Natalia Lopez-Whitaker, Lacey Wilson and Catherine Conner discuss the impact of culture on conflict engagement.

 This CUC Connect Premium and VIP Member Only webinar session is the opportunity for CUC Connect Premium and VIP members to ask questions, share quandaries and get personal support from CUC instructors.  Free for CUC Connect Premium and VIP Members. What: Member Only Open Forum Date: Wednesday June 12, 2018 When: 11 am Pacific, 12 […]

Parties in a conflict are often focused on their positions – what they think should be the solution. Our hope is that by understanding what is beneath their positions, we will be able to help them reach an agreement. In this webinar, Katherine Miller and Gary Friedman will discuss how to work with parties to discover and surface what is important to each of them – why they are taking their positions.

When parties in a legal dispute decide to use an alternative dispute resolution process, the question of role of the law and lawyers arises. The lawyers may be in the background as consulting lawyers or may be active participants. In this webinar, Gary Friedman and Catherine Conner will discuss what happens when the lawyers are active participants and present at meetings. Topics include reaching agreements about the role of the lawyers and how the law is presented.

This CUC Connect Premium and VIP Member Only webinar session is the opportunity for CUC Connect Premium and VIP members to ask questions, share quandaries and get personal support from CUC instructors. Free for CUC Connect Premium and VIP Members.

Many mediation parties have never been in mediation and are anxious about what to expect. Others may have attended a mediation that is quite different from your approach. In this webinar, Catherine Conner and Katherine Miller will discuss best practices for mediators and lawyers to prepare parties for mediation.

Tension is high in the room, emotions are flaring, and you feel desperate. You have tried your usual approach and tools but nothing has shifted. In this webinar, Gary Friedman and Katherine Miller will discuss what you can do when you are stuck.

This CUC Connect Premium and VIP Member Only webinar session is the opportunity for CUC Connect Premium and VIP members to ask questions, share quandaries and get personal support from CUC instructors. Free for CUC Connect Premium and VIP Members.

Gary Friedman and Catherine Conner will investigate the question of whether mediators should ever give advice and if so, under what conditions.

Structuring the process is how we propose starting almost all elements of the Understanding-Based mediation process.

This CUC Connect Premium and VIP Member Only webinar session is the opportunity for CUC Connect Premium and VIP members to ask questions, share quandaries and get personal support from CUC instructors.  Free for CUC Connect Premium and VIP Members. What: Member Only Open Forum Date: Friday March 20, 2020 When: 12 noon Pacific, 1 […]

Creating and Claiming Value, BATNA and WATNA, Red Herrings, Second Thoughts, and Waffling 12:00 - 1:00 PM Pacific / 3:00 - 4:00 PM Eastern / 9:00 - 10:00 PM Central Europe The endgame is often overshadowing any negotiation process from the outset. As parties in conflict approach the finish line, tentative agreements can fall apart, […]

Back-seat Drivers, Tribe, Adversarial Consulting Attorneys, and More In the Understanding-based model, the parties in conflict ultimately know which solution will work best, with the mediator playing a supportive role. Too often, however, external forces, such as family members full of opinions of what should be done, adversarial consulting attorneys who are lacking the necessary […]

Emotions Versus Rationality • When Emotions Boil Over • No Apparent Emotions Many conflict professionals are compelled to present rationale arguments and strive to avoid too much emotion from permeating into the conflict resolution process. Yet, emotions are a necessary part of decision making, and often are the key to helping clients reach resolution by allowing them […]

One of the disconcerting challenges in mediation is forceful participants and bullying behavior, which often lead to a failure in the mediation process. Sometimes individuals with active or competitive personalities are labeled as bullies, resulting in conflict resolution professionals overlooking the pivotal positive strengths and capacities these “bullies” can bring to the resolution process. In […]

For mediators, it is a dream to get parties in conflict to appreciate each other in ways they have not done so before. When this process, particularly popular among new mediators, ultimately fails, too often the parties in conflict are siloed and are obliged to resolve their conflict apart. At the heart of our Understanding-based […]

DateJanuary 25, 2021 Time 12 PM PST • 3 PM EST • 9 PM CET Cost $47 All webinars are free for CUC Connect members. Click here to learn more. In this webinar we will discuss why being yourself and being comfortable with that is so powerful. We will also discuss some common misconceptions, misgivings and mistakes […]

Trauma’s reach is visible and invisible, transitory and ever present, and powerful. Parties in a conflict may have trauma from childhood, from their current lives, and from the conflict itself. In this webinar, we will look at sources of trauma, the impact on parties in conflict and the conflict professional, and what that means for […]

This open session, exclusively for CUC Connect Premium and VIP members, is the opportunity to ask questions, share quandaries and get personal support from CUC instructors. Date March 18, 2021 Time 12 PM PDT • 3 PM EDT • 8 PM CET Cost Free for CUC Connect VIP and Premium members. Click here to learn […]

The lenses of race, equity and culture have opened widely in the last year. Along with many other people, conflict professionals have turned to books, podcasts, documentaries, workshops and other means of learning about the systemic injustices built into American society, governance, and culture. In this webinar, we will take the next step of closely […]

This open session, exclusively for CUC Connect Premium and VIP members, is the opportunity to ask questions, share quandaries and get personal support from CUC instructors. Date June 14, 2021 Time 12 PM PDT • 3 PM EDT • 9 PM CEST Cost Free for CUC Connect VIP and Premium members. Click here to learn […]

Date July 12, 2021 Time 12 PM PDT • 3 PM EDT • 9 PM CEST Cost $47 All webinars are free for CUC Connect members. Click here to learn more. In this interactive webinar, you will learn techniques for communicating more effectively with parties in conflict by uncovering what is really important for them and […]

  A recording of this webinar is available for purchase in our store. Domestic violence (DV) is prevalent and gendered. It is a pattern of power and control over a person exercised through manipulation, isolation, coercion/threats, and intimidation. In cases involving DV, mediation does not work and can even be unsafe and harmful. In this […]

This open session, exclusively for CUC Connect Premium and VIP members, is the opportunity to ask questions, share quandaries and get personal support from CUC instructors. Date September 24, 2021 Time 12 PM PDT • 3 PM EDT • 9 PM CEST Cost Free for CUC Connect VIP and Premium members. Click here to learn […]

Humans like to create and tell stories. When a conflict arises, the parties craft their individual stories about what has already happened and what they expect will lead to the end of the conflict. When they engage a conflict professional, their story adapts to include how the conflict professional will influence the outcome, typically to […]

In this webinar we will focus on practices for accessing self during periods of conflict, dealing with discomfort, identifying and working with bias toward parties. Outcomes for participating in this webinar include: Practices for going inside Willingness to be in discomfort Letting go of your own goals The relationship bias in our work Date November […]

This open session, exclusively for CUC Connect Premium and VIP members, is the opportunity to ask questions, share quandaries and get personal support from CUC instructors. Date December 14, 2021 Time 12:30 PM PST • 3:30 PM EST • 9:30 PM CET Cost Free for CUC Connect VIP and Premium members. Click here to learn […]

Date January 10, 2022 Time 12 PM PST • 3 PM EST • 9 PM CET Cost $47 All webinars are free for CUC Connect members. Click here to learn more. When we think of maintaining neutrality, many people believe that the goal is to be "objective" - to avoid taking on, or even seeming to […]

Date February 15, 2022 Time 12 PM PST • 3 PM EST • 9 PM CET Cost $47 All webinars are free for CUC Connect members. Click here to learn more. You've taken mediation and conflict resolution trainings and have begun developing the skills you need to serve clients in conflict, but how do you make […]

Date March 17, 2022 Time 12 PM PDT • 3 PM EDT • 8 PM CET Cost $47 All webinars are free for CUC Connect members. Click here to learn more. With so much of our work involving non-verbal cues and how it feels to be "in the room" with our clients, the pandemic fundamentally changed […]

Date May 10, 2022 Time 12 PM PDT • 3 PM EDT • 9 PM CEST Cost $47 All webinars are free for CUC Connect members. Click here to learn more. Everybody lies (and gets lied to), every day. As mediators, journalists, lawyers and negotiators, we encounter more lies than most. In conflict, there are countless […]

Date June 2, 2022 Time 12 PM PDT • 3 PM EDT • 9 PM CEST Cost $47 All webinars are free for CUC Connect members. Click here to learn more. When we create a container for working with parties in conflict, how can we make sure we’re designing a process that is inclusive of and […]

Date July 11, 2022 Time 12 PM PDT • 3 PM EDT • 9 PM CEST Cost $47 All webinars are free for CUC Connect members. Click here to learn more. One of the most challenging things that can come up in a conflict resolution process is when there are people outside the room negatively influencing […]

Date August 15, 2022 Time 12 PM PDT • 3 PM EDT • 9 PM CEST Cost $47 All webinars are free for CUC Connect members. Click here to learn more. Contracting is a crucial part of the mediation process and often overlooked or poorly addressed.  Inexperienced mediators worry that the parties (and their attorneys) will […]

  Join us for a stimulating and informative roundtable discussion featuring industry leader insights from three of the world's most advanced technology firms: Intel, Roche, and SAP. Panelists will discuss how the Understanding-Based Approach to Conflict has helped address human resource challenges while increasing Return on Investment (ROI) in people management systems through mediation programs that mediators […]

  It is natural to surround ourselves with like-minded people while avoiding the discomfort and tension that comes when we engage with those with beliefs and opinions contrary to ours. These days pumping gas or going to the grocery store can put us on the defensive, not to mention talking with relatives at the dinner […]

  Using our inner experience in the presence of conflict and unblocking ourselves from parties can open channels of communication that help parties understand their problem at a deeper level. Recognizing internal reactions that can get in the way of connecting to a client and working with that reaction to open our connection to the […]

Every individual who walks into a conflict resolution process brings their style, quirks and ways of relating to others. In pairs or groups, unique patterns of interaction develop. How can we support a process that acknowledges the power dynamics created by these personality differences and relationship patterns and create the opportunity for parties to negotiate […]

Resources come in many forms, not just material possessions. In a conflict, the party with more knowledge, time, money, social capital, or something else can wield outsized control and power in the process and outcome. Join Katherine Miller and Gary Friedman on April 18th to learn what we, as conflict professionals, can do to create […]

In every situation, we exist in relationship to others. The groups we all belong to - and our membership and place within them - impact interactions, expectations of each other, options, and outcomes. In a conflict resolution process, we know that awareness of social hierarchies and their impact on parties and us is critical. Join […]

Have you considered matrimonial mediation's benefits, such as fostering amicable communication, preserving relationships, and reducing the financial burden? What about potential drawbacks? Whether you're a legal professional, a divorcing individual, or simply curious about mediation, this webinar promises valuable insights to empower informed decisions during challenging times.  Join Katherine Miller on March 18th at 9AM PT […]

Join Armine Baltazar and Caitlin Meredith on Monday April 22, 2024 to explore strategies for forming robust peer groups, delve into best practices to boost engagement, and uncover tips for sustained success through mutual support. Gain practical insights, learn from real-world examples, and acquire actionable techniques to enhance your professional journey. Whether you're a seasoned […]

Embarking on a career transition bringing together parties in conflict can be a formidable journey, often fraught with uncertainties and questions. Whether you're contemplating a switch due to dissatisfaction, seeking new challenges, or aiming for personal growth, this webinar provides invaluable insights and guidance. Join Catherine Conner and Melanie Rowen on Monday, May 13th, for […]

In understanding-based conflict resolution and mediation, "looping" is a crucial communication technique. By actively demonstrating comprehension, participants bring clarity and understanding into the conversation. Often, people need to feel understood before they can understand someone else. This reciprocal understanding helps in moving conversations forward constructively. The practice of looping, where parties reiterate and confirm their […]