Zinn Mediation Associates

DENVER
1153 Bergen Parkway, M278
Evergreen, CO 80439
Phone: 303-526-2202
Fax: 303-526-5733

ATLANTA
115 Arlington Drive
Covington, GA 30016
Phone: 770-862-6287

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Zinn Mediation Associates

Providing

Mediation, Training, Facilitation, Conflict Coaching, Workshops and Dynamic Discussions (Circles of Conversation)

For:

Individuals, Organizations, Agencies and Communities

Congregations

Schools or Educational Organizations

Workplace Concerns and Disputes

Family Challenges

Cultural Conflicts

Complexities of the Elderly

Neighborhood Issues

Homeowners Associations

And more...

Mediation
Zinn Mediation Associates acts as a neutral party to assist individuals and groups in discussing their disputed issues so that a mutually acceptable agreement can be negotiated. Compared to formal or mandated (court) dispute processing, our mediation provides:

     • Opportunities to explain your story
     • Lower cost
     • Faster processing
     • Confidentiality
     • Self-determined outcomes
     • Comprehensive, customized agreements
     • Improved relationships
     • Long-lasting results

"This case certainly had some twist and turns, and it was a great learning opportunity to work with you. I learned a great deal from our experience together and look forward to our next opportunity to work together." Robert Boggess

Training
Zinn Mediation Associates trains individuals and groups in the use of practical skills that enable them to negotiate through the challenges of disputes to achieve the best results. We teach skills that help you to:

     • Clarify and clearly state your issues
     • Find the true problem
     • De-escalate the confrontation
     • Use effective language
     • Examine and evaluate possibilities
     • Compromise without losing
     • Get results that will work for you

Facilitation
Zinn Mediation Associates guides small and large group dynamics. Our professionals are highly skilled in monitoring and managing groups dealing with:

     • Old and new issues
     • Difficult personalities
     • Option assessment
     • Change in situation, organization or relationship
     • Contradictory perspectives
     • Problems that just “won’t go away”
     • Finding agreement
     • Planning for future successes

"You did a fabulous job of keeping us on task and assuring that we met the goals we set out to accomplish. The results of this meeting will have a long-term positive impact on The Conflict Center ... we appreciated the "value added" services that you - and you alone - could and did provide to our group." Ron Ludwig, Executive Director, The Conflict Center

Conflict Coaching

Conflicts can be complex and dynamic. In fact, our actions and our language have predictable impacts on inflaming or reducing the negative energy of conflicts.

Happily, there are many strategies available to address challenging situations. Unfortunately, people are generally unaware that there are so many, varied choices. Conflict Coaching offers you skills that empower you to use thoughtful decision making to your advantage. How do you deal with the difficult people? How do you create useful options?

Zinn Mediation Associates has more than twenty years experience in teaching and in coaching people about successful ways to approach and manage conflicts. We offer very practical ideas, specifically tailored to your situation. Here are a few you can try today ...

Strategies for managing conflict:

Keep your voice low and slow
Find out what the problem actually is, no assumptions
Take time to vent with a trusted friend who will honor confidentiality rather than broadcast or get in the middle
Cool off before trying to resolve problems
And so much more ...

Remember to give us a call the next time you are feeling stuck.

Presenting Workshops

Creative Negotiation in Your Workplace: Mediation and More
A Seminar presented by Mary Zinn and Ronnie Rosenbaum

Change is a constant in the nonprofit world. New staff and board members, funding challenges, Board and Executive Director relationships, expansion or downsizing, collaborations and a myriad of other situations test your ability to stay on task productively. How does your organization best benefit from transition and growth?

What is available to assist you and others when something that seemed firmly in place starts acting like shifting sands? How can your organization solve problems collaboratively?

Build skill so you can:

Recognize individual and systemic challenges early
Understand productive ways to manage anticipated and unexpected problems
Find common goals and focus on success
Develop a culture that supports collaboration and negotiation
Know when to call a professional mediator

Relationships: Your Challenges & Effective Problem Solving. Click here to find out more.

Workshop participants say...

“Informative, great dialogue sessions”
“The teacher was great and I learned more about anger than I already knew.”
“I liked Mary very much, she’s smart, makes you feel important and comfortable.”

Dynamic Dialogues

Circles of Conversation is a community conversation model used by Zinn Mediation Associates to create inviting, insightful and organized conversations about current and potentially divisive issues. Carefully selected questions are designed to enable civil conversation on a critical issue among persons who wish to hear from and share with others who may have different opinions.

The Goals of Circles of Conversation Events are to:
Have significant conversations on substantive issues.
Hear and digest ideas that are different from our own.
Consider together issues that matter in our lives.
Enhance our abilities to talk and think more deeply about the critical issues we face.

Whether for a general audience or for a community of neighborhood, workplace or congregation, attendees with varying views are encouraged to join actively in the discussion. Emphasis is placed on the process of having productive conversations by sharing views and listening with intention. The point is not to decide the right answer to the issue; rather it is to gain insights from others about our differences and similarities. This model is productive in managing changes in organizations by addressing concerns directly and moving ahead with a common understanding of challenges, benefits and strategies.

Participant’s comment:

I thoroughly enjoyed the Circles of Conversation. I would love to see it used in "communities of discord" and also in families. Sometimes it is so hard to hear what another person is saying until the real essence of the issue and the solution, if there is one, is lost in the crossfire. Thank you for you leadership in this area of vital importance. Zenzal Carr, September 2008

Sample Events:

July 16, 2007: Immigration Issues, held at Daniels Foundation, Denver
August 11, 2008: My Part in This Democracy in an Election Year, held at Regis University, Denver

Zinn Mediation Associates is available to facilitate Circles of Conversation for your team or community.