Segment 1: BalancedCoaching.com. On this edition of The Doug Noll Show we are speaking with Merle Rockwell and Ed Modell, founders of Balanced Coaching (www.balancedcoaching.com). Merle and Ed became mediators before mediation and coaching became mainstream. They are located in Maryland, which has long been a leader within the United States, and even the world, in regards to mediation.
Merle was always been drawn to trying to help people work together more effectively. She began her mediation career by taking classes and then organizing a grass-roots conflict resolution center. As founding director of the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County, Merle built a non-profit in Maryland specializing in conflict management training.
Ed was a lawyer by trade but wanted to find his true calling, so to speak. He spoke with a career counselor who suggested mediation, and ultimately made the jump from law to mediation in 2002.
Segment 2: Conflict is Always Around Us. In 2003 Ed was invited to sit in on a coaching class at a University and fell in love with the idea of coaching. He had spent 30 years asking questions as a lawyer, and it dawned on him that asking probing questions and participating in active listening is a skill that could be translated easily to a career as a coach and mediator.
Conflict is always going to be around us. How we deal with it is the key. Merle and Ed teach people the skills necessary to manage anger effectively and turn conflict into a productive effort instead of a destructive one. Neither or Ed or Merle have a fear of conflict, which has helped them in their careers. Blending coaching and mediation was a natural fit.
Segment 3: Keep It Simple, Make It Useful. Merle and Ed work together to train mediators to be conflict management coaches. They recently did a 2-day training seminar with follow-up, refresher courses, and mentoring. Their philosophy is to keep it simple, make it useful.
Segment 4: Call It Courageous. Their business is growing, mostly through word of mouth. One of the things they recognized long ago is that the word “mediation” is a turn-off for some people, so instead of calling it “difficult”, they call it “courageous.” Success has everything to do with the language that is used when they introduce the process and how they articulate the possibilities and the energy surrounding the process. There are great opportunities for people getting into mediation and coaching these days. There are now programs in prestigious universities and colleges, and a possibility of making a good living while doing something you love. To find out more about Merle and Ed’s work, please visit www.balancedcoaching.com.
To listen to the entire interview, CLICK HERE or visit http://wsradio.com/082814-making-difference-peace-peace-merle-rockwell-ed-modell/.