Shiv Martin's Blog

Artificial intelligence is changing the way people engage with complaints, investigations and dispute resolution processes. One party may arrive with a polished AI-generated submission while the other relies on their own words and limited resources. This article explores what procedural fairness requires in an AI-enabled environment and provides practical guidance for complaints handlers, conciliators, tribunal members and Ombudsman staff.

Compassion fatigue is increasingly affecting mediators, conciliators, complaints officers and dispute resolution professionals working in high-conflict and emotionally demanding environments. Drawing on research and lived experience, this article explores burnout, secondary traumatic stress, reflective practice and the organisational conditions that help dispute resolution teams remain sustainable, ethical and effective.

Workplace conflict is rarely solved by a single process. This article explains how HR professionals and leaders can choose between mediation, investigation, legal advice and coaching to achieve safer, more effective outcomes.

Stakeholder mapping is often treated as an administrative task, but it is really a strategic people skill. This article explores how thoughtful stakeholder mapping helps organisations improve communication, reduce avoidable conflict, and engage more effectively with the people who shape their work.

Backlogs in complaints and dispute resolution systems are often treated as a throughput problem, but they reveal deeper issues in system design, triage, leadership and culture. Drawing on cross-jurisdictional experience, this article explores practical strategies to improve timeliness, protect staff wellbeing and strengthen sustainable dispute resolution practice.

Handling challenging phone calls is one of the toughest parts of conflict work. This guide outlines evidence-based de-escalation strategies, from active listening and empathy to setting boundaries and documenting conversations. Ideal for complaints teams, HR managers, and leaders committed to safer, more professional interactions.

Microaggressions at work can feel small in the moment but cause lasting damage when left unaddressed. This article explores why people stay silent, how unresolved microaggressions escalate into workplace conflict, and how early intervention, mediation, and conflict resolution skills can protect team culture and psychological safety.

This symposium brings together Ombudsman, tribunal, commission and regulatory dispute resolution professionals to explore the real pressures, emerging challenges and practical opportunities in early resolution and conciliation practice. If your team works in statutory dispute resolution, this event is designed for your context.

Artificial intelligence is now part of everyday complaints and dispute resolution practice. From AI-drafted submissions to automated triage, the opportunities are real, but so are the risks. This article explores how regulators, tribunals, and complaints teams can respond with clearer guidance, stronger safeguards, and more visible human judgement.

Explore how to confidently choose between mediation, investigation, litigation, or informal action when managing workplace complaints. Learn what works, when, and why.

Conciliation training doesn’t just prepare you to facilitate disputes. It strengthens advocacy, negotiation, emotional intelligence and decision-making. In an era where AI can draft and research, human conciliation skills are becoming a lawyer’s most valuable asset.

Workplace conflict often isn’t about the issue, it’s about the principle. This article explores how values-based coaching questions and the SCARF framework help leaders and HR professionals reduce defensiveness, surface what’s really at stake, and resolve conflict more effectively.