Recent Highlights
The start of 2010 has been busy for Core. John Sturrock ran a fifth two-day workshop for elite coaches at UK Sport, developing skills for handling difficult situations and reducing conflict, so essential both for teams and for individuals supported by teams as they strive for those marginal advantages which can make the difference between Gold and Silver – or medal and no medal. He also gave a keynote address to over 200 athletes, coaches, administrators and others at the national conference of the English Institute of Sport, which is chaired by Olympic silver medallist, Steve Cram.
John addressed the Scottish Conference of the Medical Protection Society (whose Head of Medical Services (Edinburgh) is Core-trained mediator Dr Rob Hendry) and also a group of SME clients of a commercial law firm, on the subject of Dealing with Deadlock. In-house, we have conducted two further courses for clients in the financial sector on Managing Differences, Reducing Conflict and Dealing with Customers and Complaints. Charlie Woods and Hugh Donald held a Negotiation Course for housing sector officials in Glasgow.
We are also looking forward to conducting our full mediation skills course for a national organisation in-house and leading facilitation training for a public sector body which is keen to develop its own in-house capacity.
On the mediation front, Pamela Lyall has been involved in a number of delicate internal mediations with individuals, managers and teams.
Hugh Donald helped the parties in a sensitive family matter to resolve a long-running issue, with real appreciation: “...prior to your involvement, I had hoped that at least some of the differences between the parties might be resolved, so that if the court action did require to proceed, at least the dispute would have been narrowed. I also thought that if anyone could assist in this difficult situation, it would be Core. I did not, however, anticipate that final resolution would be reached, knowing as I did how entrenched the parties’ position seemed to be prior to mediation starting. The fresh perspective which Hugh was obviously able to offer seems to have made all the difference..”
As was covered by the media, John Sturrock acted as mediator / facilitator in discussions involving the key players in the difficult situation which has arisen in connection with the cost of transmission of electricity using the national grid.