Managing Public Disputes: Chapter 5

This was a thorough introduction to all aspects of gathering information and interviews. These all occur prior to any negotiation process. There are a lot of variables to consider such as how many people from each side will you interview, what will there positions/status within the party be? Where will the interview take place and how long? A lot of research needs to be done ahead of time, but the initial interviews will be the most helpful in identifying key players and issues. One topic that I found interesting was when they discussed how you should dress for the interviews. They made the point that you might offend somebody by trying to imitate them. I think the best bet is to aim to wear neutral clothes (i.e. not a ‘cowboy’ outfit if the dispute is versus small town cowboys and a corporation). I think that neutral clothes can help portray your neutral stance.
Other things that jumped out at me in this chapter is how much these interviews are like the second stage of mediation when each party tells their side. It is still important to ask neutral questions and practice reflective listening; in fact the only difference seems to be the absence of the other party. Overall, I thought this was a good introduction to the first phase of professionally handling a conflict.