While David Gould started his career as a lawyer, a litigator, he engaged in mediation training in 1988 and, in his words, became “enamored with it”. He has mediated in situations as varied as with the Canadian insurance industry to an oil company in Albania. His work has led him to understand the nature of conflict which he says can initially be framed as a difficult conversation or sometimes a difficult negotiation that shifts and escalates into right and wrong, fault and blame.
Chad Hughes and David discuss not only the nature of conflict but the guide David has written to assist in negotiation and de-escalation early in a conflict. Chad learns about David’s theory of Rumi’s field where David encouraged people to meet him beyond ideas of wrongdoing in a field where conversation about solutions and options can occur. David offers a great amount of insight into debate versus dialogue, advice for resolution of conflict, and his beliefs on the core nature of what mediation is. His thoughts can assist everyone from individuals to industries engage with less tension and more conversation.
“And because the guide is intended to be a tool for people really early in the conflict before it has gotten so toxic, I think it has an excellent chance of being effective and having people take a step back and go to what I refer to as Rumi’s field – beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right-doing there is a field, I’ll meet you there. So in my experience, a mediation is Rumi’s field, it’s a place for conversations and dialogue, to share stories for understanding and meaning without the drama of fault and blaming, right and wrong.” – David Gould
About David Gould
For over 30 years David Gould has helped people plan for and have difficult conversations about the issues that matter most to them. He is one of Western Canada’s most experienced mediators and an industry leader in the design of conflict prevention and conflict management systems and processes, as well as their integration with regulatory requirements for public and stakeholder engagement. Dave combines an extensive legal background with proven mediation capabilities, conflict coaching and conflict management systems, and design experience to assist individuals, industry, business and government organizations to effectively address complex and challenging conflicts.
Much of this work involved David’s intervention in the late stages of the conflict. While it is always better late than never, a prolonged conflict still leaves lives consumed by stress, relationships shattered, fortunes drained in legal fees and a loss of confidence in the future. He now engages with clients to support them to get ahead and stay ahead of conflict.
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Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website | linkedin
David Gould | Mediator & Conflict Coach: website | linkedin | negotiation guide
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