“HOW ARE WE SCREWING YOU UP?”
Reading today’s obituary for John Shields, a former CEO of Trader Joe’s, I was struck by one passage: Shields said he spent days in stores asking employees, “What are we doing at the office to screw you up?” “And, boy, I filled up 20 notepads,” he said. No one knows a job like the people who are in it. Why then is it nearly unheard-of for managers – much less a CEO – to take the time to ask employees what’s going well and what could be improved? The benefits of these conversations are enormous: By knowing what’s wrong, the stores...
Read MoreNEWS: THE HARWELL INSTITUTE
I’m pleased to announce that I’ve become affiliated (non-exclusively) with the Harwell Institute, which has been established to provide the legal community with mediation and arbitration services at an extremely affordable cost. With mediation no longer available through Los Angeles Superior Court, attorneys and their clients are in an unpalatable situation. Since cases may not get to trial for five years, early resolution is more important than ever. But the traditional ADR provider organizations are very expensive, and spending more than a modest amount for mediation often...
Read MoreCHEATING AT WORK? BLAME YOUR BODY CLOCK
A fascinating new study suggests that when we’re tired, we’re more likely to cut corners. Someone who’s an early riser will do more poorly – and even cheat – later in the day. The opposite holds for those who prefer late hours. All of which adds fodder to the notion that the 9-5 workday is on its way out.
Read MoreWHY DOES TV HATE MEDIATORS? PART 2
In a previous post I discussed why TV just can’t seem to accurately portray the mediation process. I mentioned the new reality program “Untying the Knot,” which follows an attorney as she works with couples in the throes of divorce. Although the show refers to her as “mediator,” the pilot showed her determining how assets would be split – precisely what does not happen in mediation. I checked back in for episode 3. The producers have abandoned all pretense that the couple might have a say in the outcome. Gone were words like “recommend.” This time,...
Read MoreWHY DOES TV HATE MEDIATORS?
Years ago, attorney Ken Cloke was cast as the judge on a new TV series: The People’s Court. Rather than dictate a result, Ken helped the feuding parties reach agreement. He was fired after one episode. More recently, TV gave us Fairly Legal, a scripted show about a woman who ran around San Francisco convening mediations on an hour’s notice. She listened to the parties a good thirty to sixty seconds before telling them what to do and dashing off again. The newest entry is Untying the Knot, which follows a real-life mediator who works with divorcing couples. I watched the pilot,...
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