“All human beings are ‘trapped’ to different degrees, by belief, emotions and behaviours, which are outside of systems of rational analysis”[1]

At a time when our legislators are proscribing mediation and meaningful negotiation, I’m frequently arriving at the same hurdle. Some lawyers don’t speak to other lawyers. And as the digital natives graduate from law school, do we face a future with lawyers who have lost the art of verbal communication? We will be unable to meet our legislative and, surely, our moral requirements to negotiate or mediate unless we are prepared to change.

Gender difference and education can be a controversial subject but I’m going to wade into it anyway. I’ve seen a lot over my 27 years of teaching and training.

Helen asked to interview me over Easter. She wanted to know my story, how I came to be where I am today and my thoughts on how to assist women in domestic violence situations. If you want to know more have a read. https://msdispatches.wordpress.com/interviews-page-2/

Recently I had the fantastic privilege of being a judge at UTS for the Clayton Utz Intervarsity Negotiation Competition and also to present training on Developing your Personal Presence for NSW Young Lawyers at their mid- year assembly. Both very rewarding and fun for me. Being in the observation seat of so many talented speakers and presenters was great. It’s always fascinating to me to see who has the ‘It’ factor.

Have you ever noticed that when some individuals speak everyone listens? This can be frustrating when you feel you have something important to say and may feel you have trouble being heard or making an impact. If you’ve ever found yourself in this situation then consider the following keys.

Bullying and harassment have serious consequences for individuals and workplaces. It is up to everyone to change this and create a productive culture in which people feel safe and do their best work. As an effective communication consultant I have experienced and studied the direct relationship between communication skills and productivity in the workplace.