As the founder and CEO of the Core Solutions Group, I spend a great deal of time thinking and speaking about mediation, negotiation, conflict management, leadership and communication. I am told I should write some of these thoughts down… so, here goes…
Back in 2020, just before the world changed, I wrote a blog post on this site suggesting the establishment of the World Mediators’ Alliance on Climate Change.
My argument was that mediation offers a much more sustainable way …
I did something recently that I have not done for well over two years. I addressed a large conference audience – in person. Prior to arriving at the venue, I had flashbacks to early days …
The Auditor General’s recent report on the construction of two CalMac ferries identified various failures. One critical aspect was the breakdown of relationships between two of the main protagonists, CMAL, the Scottish Government-owned ferry purchasers, and …
Effective inter-governmental relations among the constituent parts of the United Kingdom are essential in an era of increased devolution of powers, post-Brexit allocation of responsibility and contested narratives about the future of the (uncodified) UK …
“The ground is so wet; it wasn’t like this in the past. We can’t get started on this year’s soil preparation.”
In a recent mediation involving farmers, this was the response to my early inquiry about …
The American Bar Association recently reaffirmed the principle of civility as a foundation for democracy and the rule of law. Its Resolution 108 goes on: "When dealing with the public as well as one another, lawyers …
As supporters of the 2020 Climate Group, which I facilitate, Core is encouraged to take steps to reduce its carbon footprint. How do we do that? Well, we recently moved office. We have dispensed with …
The Royal Society of Edinburgh has launched the report on its 18-month inquiry into climate change and how to break the barriers to a low-carbon Scotland. In my capacity as independent facilitator of the 2020 …
Ruminating on the economic crisis, global warming, consumerism and materialism, it seems to me that things are not as they should be. We should not be spending as much as we …
Last week I had the privilege of facilitating the third meeting of the 2020 Climate Change Delivery Group. Set up in December 2009, the Group, under the chairmanship of Scottish and Southern Energy's chief executive …