In this article by Professor Lawrence Susskind of MIT he presents ideas on this topic entitled Environmental Negotiations and 15 Things About Environmental Dispute Resolution. The article was published by the Program on Negotiation Harvard Law School Blog. Professor Susskind offers 15 ideas and asks for feedback on his ideas. As a person with a BS and MS in environmental and civil engineering having worked in the water resources area early in my career, and today as a qualified mediator with the Supreme Court in Minnesota, I was tapped to be a facilitator/moderator at the “Governor’s Water Summit” on Saturday February 27, 2016 where over 800 attended.
In the session I facilitated I can tell you that the attendees had strong passions on the issues. In my session the participants agreed to a set of ground rules that they developed, and I diligently worked to enforce those ground rules given their passions. The area I facilitated involved those associated with two potential new mines in a watershed that includes the boundary waters. Environmental groups were strongly represented. All were heard and comments were documented. That was the key. Listening and understanding were paramount.
I like the ideas presented by Professor Susskind and I would encourage you to make use of his ideas if you are involved with this type of issue. Of course if you have other ideas, I encourage you to share these with him too.
Michael Gregory, ASA, CVA, MBA is an expert in conflict resolution dedicated to making individuals, organizations, thought-leading entrepreneurs and executives more successful. Michael’s books, including his NEW BOOK Peaceful Resolutions: A 60-step illustrated guide to conflict resolution are available at this link. Free resources are available online at www.mikegreg.com. Check out the blog. Contact Mike directly at mg@mikegreg.com or call (651) 633-5311