Marli Rusen

Marli Rusen A leading legal expert in workplace conflict management. of The MIRROR Method and a charismatic, engaging, educational & entertaining

Marli Rusen brings years of extensive experience as a labour, employment and human rights lawyer to her current work as a third-party educator and problem-solver. Marli has effectively transformed her legal knowledge and understanding of workplace dynamics into proactive, practical and timely "tools" to assist parties with the informal and formal resolution of their complex workplace challenges an

d issues. Marli brings to third party arbitration a history of academic excellence and extensive practical legal experience. Marli was awarded the Gold Medals in Law (University of Victoria) and Psychology (University of Winnipeg) for obtaining the highest aggregate grade point average in each area of study. In addition, Marli was recognized for her specific academic excellence in the Law of Evidence and Employment Law. Following Law School, Marli Rusen clerked with the BC Supreme Court in Victoria, BC. Through this experience, Marli observed and was coached on the importance of transparent, fair and defensible legal proceedings, sound legal analysis and lucid decision making. Marli then spent over 18 years acting as a legal advocate for various parties (plaintiffs, defendants, employees and employers) who chose - or were compelled - to resolve their disputes through formal litigation and arbitration. Marli commits to applying her education and experience in a way that ensures that parties receive a fair and objective hearing, witnesses are treated respectfully and union and management receive a legally sound and practical decision in a timely manner. As a trouble-shooter, Marli will hear evidence from the parties, in an informal hearing, and issue non-binding or binding recommendations on how to resolve the issue. As an arbitrator, Marli will hear evidence and argument in a formal hearing and will then issue a binding award based upon the factual evidence and legal principles at play. Marli provides the following effective and practical tools to defuse and resolve disputes: educational, hands-on training and workshops for supervisors, employees and shop stewards; conflict management systems design and policy development; workplace interventions, such as environmental scans, conflict audits and investigations, to accurately diagnose and understand the issues; and formal assistance with conflict resolution, as a third-party mediator, trouble-shooter and arbitrator. Marli also is known to be a passionate, engaging and humorous key-note speaker on workplace/interpersonal dynamics and is commonly invited to speak at in-house events and industry-based conferences.

Are You Setting Your Supervisors Up for Success?One of the most critical and challenging transitions, in my experience, ...
06/19/2026

Are You Setting Your Supervisors Up for Success?

One of the most critical and challenging transitions, in my experience, occurs when a front-line staff member is first promoted into a supervisory position.

This becomes even more complicated when they are asked to supervise their “former” peers.

Without sufficient direction, support and training, this could fast become dysfunctional – for the supervisor, the team and the overall organization. This happens when:

1. The supervisor could blindly align with the team, refusing to address material operational, performance and behavioral concerns, and failing to report these issues to management in a timely manner, if at all;

2. The supervisor could favor certain team members over others (typically, coworkers with whom they have worked closely), resulting in conflict amongst the team and a loss of trust in the supervisor; or

3. The supervisor’s promotion could go to their head, resulting in a misuse or abuse of authority, and an overbearing “I know best” attitude over team members. Many team members share that their supervisor was amazing as a coworker but then changed into someone who didn’t seem to care about those who now reported to them.

Supervisors (and their staff) need to be educated on perceived and real conflicts of interest, the dangers of favoritism and the need for consistent and respectful team accountability. They can’t learn this through osmosis, mind-reading, or walking down the hall to find someone with the answers. Workplace supervision has grown too complicated for this laissez-faire approach. It is incumbent on more senior leaders and HR to set up first-time leaders for success. Otherwise, the failures are not theirs to own.

“He said/she said” – an Inexcusable Excuse to Avoid Resolving Disputes In the course of conducting environmental scans, ...
06/10/2026

“He said/she said” – an Inexcusable Excuse to Avoid Resolving Disputes

In the course of conducting environmental scans, I commonly hear about concerns that have remained unresolved. When I dig deeper, I learn that the leaders are well aware of the outstanding issues. I am told that the issues were reviewed but the matter could not be resolved because of conflicting evidence. “It was he said/she said, so there wasn’t much we could do”.

That is a myth, not the reality. And it’s responsible for the inability of individuals and teams to move forward with clarity and closure.

The reality is that many incidents of misconduct often take place without witnesses. If this alone were enough to invalidate a complaint, our criminal courtrooms would be empty.

When any concern arises, workplace leaders and HR professionals have an obligation to interview those involved to determine whose version of events is more credible. This is expected whether or not there were witnesses to the alleged event.

If the version of events put forward by the complainant is more credible than the respondent, then the allegation is substantiated.

If the version of events put forward by the respondent is more credible than the complainant, then the allegation has not been substantiated.

Either way, the conflicting versions do not “cancel each other out” or somehow allow investigators to avoid making a decision as to “what most likely happened” (the civil standard of proof).

Simply put, organizations cannot leave parties in limbo by failing to conduct this analysis. They have a responsibility to inquire into concerns in an objective manner, make necessary findings and then relay the outcome (and their rationale) to the parties involved.

Beyond being a legal requirement, this is how to build a healthy workplace culture. Failing to engage in this process will cause those involved to perpetuate (and likely speak passionately about) their opposing beliefs and positions on unresolved conflict, given that they have not been informed or directed otherwise.

Conflict is not the cause of ongoing workplace dysfunction and divides – however, unresolved conflict often is. Teams thrive when there is clarity and closure to workplace disagreements and disputes. Investigate concerns early, evaluate them fairly and then use your findings as the basis upon which to educate those involved on where the line is – and is not – in any given situation. You won’t be sorry. And neither will your team.

A leader’s credibility and integrity is defined by what they do – not by what they say they are doing (or what they prom...
06/04/2026

A leader’s credibility and integrity is defined by what they do – not by what they say they are doing (or what they promise to do in the future). Leaders quickly lose trust of and buy-in from their team when they:

⚠️Are friends (or disproportionately friendly) with certain coworkers, resulting in concerns of bias and favoritism

⚠️ Gossip about staff with other staff, often sharing private information about someone’s professional or personal life

⚠️ Promise to look into an issue yet never follow-up or follow through

⚠️Say they care about their team’s input but never consider or apply it

Trust is not achieved through certifications or degrees. It is built – over time – through transparency, fairness, consistency and respect.

It’s not enough to declare that one is trustworthy – it’s something that needs to be proven – over time – through the actions we take.

Building an effective team should be everyone’s priority within an organization.In this engaging half-day workshop, part...
05/28/2026

Building an effective team should be everyone’s priority within an organization.
In this engaging half-day workshop, participants learn practical ways to address dysfunctional interpersonal and team dynamics by respectfully speaking about and addressing conflict as soon as it arises.

Strong teams are not built by avoiding difficult conversations. They are built through trust, communication, accountability, and respectful action.

This workshop is designed to help teams strengthen workplace relationships before small issues grow into larger dysfunction.

05/23/2026

Successful leaders are defined through their clear, consistent and credible practices. The trust we create (or lose) is rooted in the actions we take, not in our passionate beliefs or self-perceptions. Listen to our latest Q/A video now, where Marli outlines the behavioral competencies at the heart of respectful leadership.

Leaders are Human Too – Creating a Safe and Inclusive Workplace for AllWe hear a lot about stressed-out teams. But what ...
05/21/2026

Leaders are Human Too – Creating a Safe and Inclusive Workplace for All

We hear a lot about stressed-out teams. But what about the supervisors and managers who are working hard to hold their teams together – often with little recognition, little rest, and a whole lot of pressure?

It seems that “calling out” leadership is common (and often disrespectfully so). What’s less common? Calling in support for individual leaders who are doing their best to show up for others while no one seems to show up for them.

Many front-line leaders with whom I work aren’t purposely ignoring workplace dysfunction – they’re overwhelmed, under-resourced, undertrained, and often fearful of making the wrong move. They are the first to be blamed and the last to be recognized. They’re expected (often by those with power over them) to simply “figure things out”, resolve conflict, maintain morale, and drive productivity, without being given the necessary time or resources to make this happen.

And when they inevitably falter? They’re attacked, not supported.

We need to ensure that our calls for justice don’t blame individuals for systemic shortcomings.

Don’t get me wrong – accountability is critical but it must be respectful and humane. Blame and shame doesn’t boost confidence, strengthen skills or build better workplaces. It simply makes those “seeking change” a part of the problem they are so eager to resolve.

In my work, I commonly encounter two different types of dysfunction that work together to divide relationships and teams...
05/15/2026

In my work, I commonly encounter two different types of dysfunction that work together to divide relationships and teams. The two individuals involved in this dynamic are respectively perceived as the "needler" and the “burster".

The burster is the individual who loses their temper, says (or emails) the wrong thing (or the right thing at the wrong time) or otherwise engages in direct and tangible behaviors that are viewed as inappropriate and disrespectful. Many times, this person is almost exclusively held to blame for conversations, meetings and relationships that have gone sideways.

However, when dynamics are fully and properly investigated, a separate and more subtle form of dysfunction becomes apparent: this is the “needler". The needler quietly creates stress and anxiety for others: they ignore certain requests for assistance, they fail to respond to questions (from specific people), they selectively refuse to share information, and often fail to do what is being asked of them without saying a word. Their silent dysfunction is noticed – not in any “tangible” behavior – but in the damaging impact caused by their lack of responsiveness, consistency and transparency.

The bursters either experience or observe this happening – and also notice that nothing is being done about it. And then, as you guessed, they "burst". They react by sending the inappropriate email or making the insensitive comment. And then, the needler complains.

Hasty leaders will say "Look at that burster – they are at it again". Responsible ones will say – "Look at that burster ... it’s not okay, but let's consider all the circumstances to better understand what might be happening". When done properly, most reviews of this nature end up holding both individuals accountable for their contribution to the unhealthy dynamics.

In order to reach defensible conclusions, it is critical for investigators, leaders and HR to have open and curious minds from beginning to end. Workplace inquiries are not about finding out "who dunnit" – they must learn all about the "dysfunctional pie" and figure out who owns what piece of it.





A dysfunctional dynamic in my workplaces is the person who is constantly complaining and always negative – about the pas...
05/13/2026

A dysfunctional dynamic in my workplaces is the person who is constantly complaining and always negative – about the past, present and future and about issues within and outside the workplace. While the issues they raise (about the world, about the workplace or a combination of both) might reflect their genuine beliefs or contain elements of truth, their ongoing pessimism and drive to point out “all that is wrong with everything” has a significant effect on morale and often impacts others’ mental health and well being. These types of conversations do not solve problems – they simply add to those we already have.

In contrast, constructive feedback may contain some negative elements but its intention and spirit is genuinely “problem-solving” in nature. The feedback and concerns are usually specific, both in relation to the issue at hand and in how that concern might be rectified.

Constructive feedback, often shared in the context of quality improvement, safety incidents, change management and performance development, plays a potentially significant and helpful role. However, when it is improperly dismissed as “negative” or “oppositional”, those involved (regardless of their role) have misunderstood (mistakenly or otherwise) the important distinction between “negative” and “constructive”. In doing so, they have missed an incredible opportunity to learn and grow through valuable (albeit critical) input and feedback.





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1321 Blanshard Street #301
Victoria, BC
V8W0B6

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+18775908153

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