Would you describe yourself as proficient in the use of arbitration and mediation? Please give examples.
Sisuile Rumhann says: Sisuile has had formal training in arbitration and mediation techniques in non profit contexts in her graduate work. It helped immensely in her day job – real estate of any form is all about negotiation, and it helps the process to go smoothly if everyone feels heard and validated. The role of an agent is frequently to mediate between the needs of buyer and sellers or between owners and tenants. It has been her job for 15+ years to be that person in the middle. In SCA context, her work as Dean of Performing Arts at Pennsic had her frequently stepping in and acting as facilitator between groups of performers and classes who had overlapping desires for use of the space – in one specific case, the rehearsal on our primary stage was extremely upset by the noise created by performers who had asked to work on set construction in the back of house. She was called in when the shouting started. After about 10 minutes of listening to both sides’ concerns (time, space limitations, previous access, noise levels,etc) the two groups managed to feel they had both been heard, and their issues addressed. The construction group had a plan for when they could be loud without disturbing others or putting their timeline too far behind, the singers on stage felt they could trust that the rest of their rehearsal slots would not be afflicted by power tools or banging, without insisting the other group remove themselves.
Rumhann has been working retail customer service in one form or another for most of the last two decades. Being able to hear someone, let them know they are being heard, and not brushed off as an annoyance, is one of his specialties. In addition, finding a useful resolution to the complaint or inconvenience that is being brought up without sacrificing resources or procedures maintains the option for a delightful interaction and experience. Recently, this has involved digging into why some transactions happened as they did, instead of how the customer had thought they should. In terms of arbitration, while in managerial roles he has had to step in between customers and team members, and sometimes between two or more team members. These situations are treated effectively as a mediation for the customer and possible training options for the team members.
Mark Gwenllian says: Gwenllian: I would consider myself pretty adept at both mediation and arbitration. A recent example came in planning a demo. There was a discussion about who was bringing what, who was getting what information from the site, and other general planning that goes with planning a demo. One person in the discussion felt they weren’t getting the responses from the main coordinator they should have. This person was very familiar with the site and still new to the the demo planning process. As the discussion was winding down, I received a private message asking how I made it look so easy to plan. I asked for more information and eventually found out that this person wanted to help, had been offering to help and felt they were getting brushed off. After finding this out, I was able to calm them down. As the demo got going, I had a few talks with some key people, explaining the newer person’s experience. By the end of the demo, at least three people were stepping in to help the newer person find their way, help out and make new friends.
Mark: I bring with me the knowledge of what my strengths and weaknesses are. Mediation is one of those things where I still need to do more work. In most of my dealings with opposition, I have been fortunate enough to always have someone nearby who was better equipped than me to talk out the problem and make sure it is handled with the best possible outcome. I recognize this and realize this is a strength Gwenllian has. I also recognize the people and tools around me that are better suited for such tactics both to learn from and apply where needed. It takes the mindset of someone thinking for the better of all to know when to step back. We can’t all be good at everything but through our partnership, we balance each other out to make a strong pair.
In the last question I, Grimolfr, had stated I have been in a managerial position for 18 years. This has given me the experience to understand how to work with people from all walks of life and backgrounds to find common ground and make resolutions. Same for Khazariyya, in her 12 years, especially dealing one on one with her clients, their needs, and compromises when the clients felt their needs have not been met to their standards. We both utilize these skills daily, currently, and end up with satisfied parties each time.
Khazariyya also has a very high sense of fairness and in my 8 years with her, I have always noticed that she must hear all sides from all parties with presented facts before she can even begin to have an opinion on the matter.
In the last question I, Grimolfr, had stated I have been in a managerial position for 18 years. This has given me the experience to understand how to work with people from all walks of life and backgrounds to find common ground and make resolutions. Same for Khazariyya, in her 12 years, especially dealing one on one with her clients, their needs, and compromises when the clients felt their needs have not been met to their standards. We both utilize these skills daily, currently, and end up with satisfied parties each time.
Khazariyya also has a very high sense of fairness and in my 8 years with her, I have always noticed that she must hear all sides from all parties with presented facts before she can even begin to have an opinion on the matter.
Gwenllian: I would consider myself pretty adept at both mediation and arbitration. A recent example came in planning a demo. There was a discussion about who was bringing what, who was getting what information from the site, and other general planning that goes with planning a demo. One person in the discussion felt they weren’t getting the responses from the main coordinator they should have. This person was very familiar with the site and still new to the the demo planning process. As the discussion was winding down, I received a private message asking how I made it look so easy to plan. I asked for more information and eventually found out that this person wanted to help, had been offering to help and felt they were getting brushed off. After finding this out, I was able to calm them down. As the demo got going, I had a few talks with some key people, explaining the newer person’s experience. By the end of the demo, at least three people were stepping in to help the newer person find their way, help out and make new friends.
Mark: I bring with me the knowledge of what my strengths and weaknesses are. Mediation is one of those things where I still need to do more work. In most of my dealings with opposition, I have been fortunate enough to always have someone nearby who was better equipped than me to talk out the problem and make sure it is handled with the best possible outcome. I recognize this and realize this is a strength Gwenllian has. I also recognize the people and tools around me that are better suited for such tactics both to learn from and apply where needed. It takes the mindset of someone thinking for the better of all to know when to step back. We can’t all be good at everything but through our partnership, we balance each other out to make a strong pair.
Sisuile has had formal training in arbitration and mediation techniques in non profit contexts in her graduate work. It helped immensely in her day job – real estate of any form is all about negotiation, and it helps the process to go smoothly if everyone feels heard and validated. The role of an agent is frequently to mediate between the needs of buyer and sellers or between owners and tenants. It has been her job for 15+ years to be that person in the middle. In SCA context, her work as Dean of Performing Arts at Pennsic had her frequently stepping in and acting as facilitator between groups of performers and classes who had overlapping desires for use of the space – in one specific case, the rehearsal on our primary stage was extremely upset by the noise created by performers who had asked to work on set construction in the back of house. She was called in when the shouting started. After about 10 minutes of listening to both sides’ concerns (time, space limitations, previous access, noise levels,etc) the two groups managed to feel they had both been heard, and their issues addressed. The construction group had a plan for when they could be loud without disturbing others or putting their timeline too far behind, the singers on stage felt they could trust that the rest of their rehearsal slots would not be afflicted by power tools or banging, without insisting the other group remove themselves.
Rumhann has been working retail customer service in one form or another for most of the last two decades. Being able to hear someone, let them know they are being heard, and not brushed off as an annoyance, is one of his specialties. In addition, finding a useful resolution to the complaint or inconvenience that is being brought up without sacrificing resources or procedures maintains the option for a delightful interaction and experience. Recently, this has involved digging into why some transactions happened as they did, instead of how the customer had thought they should. In terms of arbitration, while in managerial roles he has had to step in between customers and team members, and sometimes between two or more team members. These situations are treated effectively as a mediation for the customer and possible training options for the team members.