In 1992, Xavier University through the Community Development Committee embarked on a project to develop a 150-hectare property in Cagayan de Oro City. The project proved to be an invaluable experience in community building and conflict resolution, replete with lessons for similar undertakings.

Whether you work in the corporate world, a nonprofit organization, or the government sector, you likely face the need to work with others to solve problems and make decisions on a daily basis. And you've undoubtedly been frustrated by how laborious and conflict-ridden such group efforts can be. At all levels--from neighborhood block associations to boards of directors of multinational corporations--the consensus building process is highly effective in an increasingly fragmented, contentious society. In addition, the old top-down methods such as Robert's Rules of Orders often prompt more problems then they solve. Consensus helps you to implement better, more creative solutions. It provides a winning alternative to top-down decision making--and even parliamentary procedure. By learning to build consensus, stakeholders come to understand and respect one another's perspectives. The consensus building process allows participants to find solutions and forge agreements that meet everyone's needs--and provides a meaningful basis for effective, long-range implementation of decisions. The Consensus Building Handbook provides a blueprint to help make the process work in your organization, including a practical, quick-reference Short Guide. Plus, you'll find in-depth commentary and seventeen case studies with in-depth commentaries to provide the theoretical basis for this approach. --From publisher's description.

Your boss is a brilliant but difficult man. He's risen like a rocket in your organization but every time he barks and lunges, you cringe, cower or run for cover. Are you ready for a better way to deal with pit bull attacks? Do you know how to have a good fight?! Do you know how to handle bosses who feast on conflict like pit bulls; employees whose golden retriever loyalty keeps them from speaking up even when they know you're wrong; colleagues who flee from disputes like roadrunners; or co-workers who hiss, spit and triangulate conflicts like cobras? Are you ready to learn how to soar like an eagle, using your power to fight when you need to, even in the midst of a dispute? The Power of a Good Fight helps managers discover not only their teams' own style but how to use it to their advantage.

Make workplace conflict resolution a game that EVERYBODY wins! Recent studies show that typical managers devote more than a quarter of their time to resolving coworker disputes. The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games offers a wealth of activities and exercises for groups of any size that let you manage your business (instead of managing personalities). Part of the acclaimed, bestselling Big Books series, this guide offers step-by-step directions and customizable tools that empower you to heal rifts arising from ineffective communication, cultural/personality clashes, and other specific problem areas—before they affect your organization's bottom line. Let The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games help you to: Build trust Foster morale Improve processes Overcome diversity issues And more Dozens of physical and verbal activities help create a safe environment for teams to explore several common forms of conflict—and their resolution. Inexpensive, easy-to-implement, and proved effective at Fortune 500 corporations and mom-and-pop businesses alike, the exercises in The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games delivers everything you need to make your workplace more efficient, effective, and engaged.

Whether you work in the corporate world, a nonprofit organization, or the government sector, you likely face the need to work with others to solve problems and make decisions on a daily basis. And you′ve undoubtedly been frustrated by how laborious and conflict-ridden such group efforts can be. At all levels – from neighborhood block associations to boards of directors of multinational corporations – the consensus building process is highly effective in an increasingly fragmented, contentious society. In addition, the old top-down methods such as Robert′s Rules of Orders often prompt more problems then they solve. Consensus helps you to implement better, more creative solutions. It provides a winning alternative to top-down decision making – and even parliamentary procedure. By learning to build consensus, stakeholders come to understand and respect one another′s perspectives. The consensus building process allows participants to find solutions and forge agreements that meet everyone′s needs – and provides a meaningful basis for effective, long-range implementation of decisions. The Consensus Building Handbook provides a blueprint to help make the process work in your organization, including a practical, quick-reference Short Guide. Plus, you′ll find in-depth commentary and seventeen case studies with in-depth commentaries to provide the theoretical basis for this new approach. CASE STUDIES INCLUDE: Activating a Policy Network: The Case of Mainport Schiphol The Northern Oxford County Coalition: Four Maine Towns Tackle a Public Health Mystery The Chelsea Charter Consensus Process Resolving Science-Intensive Public Policy Disputes: Reflections on the New York Bight Initiative Negotiation Superfund Cleanup at the Massachusetts Military Reservation RuleNet: An Experiment in Online Consensus Building Regulatory Negotiations: The Native American Experience The Chattanooga Process: A City′s Vision Is Realized From City Hall to the Streets: A Community Plan Meets the Real World The Catron County Citizens Group: A Case Study in Community Collaboration Facilitating Statewide HIV/AIDS Policies and Priorities in Colorado Building Consensus for Change Within a Major Corporation: The Case of Levi-Strauss & Company

Resolving Environmental Disputes presents detailed case studies from the key contemporary themes in resource management and environmental protection, such as: access to the countryside for recreation, sustainable forestry, pollution and risks to health, and coastal zone management. The book spans both theory and practice in assessing the relationship between public participation and mediation. It is structured around detailed case studies from Britain, the USA and the Netherlands, which are interspersed with chapters providing explanation and interpretation of the theoretical and practical issues involved. In reviewing the state of environmental conflict resolution, the author examines how and why conflicts occur and whether approaches to conflict resolution based on consensus building could be more widely applied.