ADR Vantage

09/04/2026

The best moment for constructive feedback isn't at the end of the project. It's at the halfway mark. At the end, feedback is a verdict. Nothing can change. At the midpoint, the same words are useful, because the person can still do something with them.

That's one of eight tips in HBR's roundup on giving feedback. Read the full article: https://buff.ly/bZ7xPz2

What's mid-flight on your team right now that could use a check-in next week?

Our Management Tip of the Day continues to be one of HBR’s most popular newsletters. In this article, we’ve compiled eight of our favorite tips on giving feedback, from how to use feedback to give employees a sense of purpose to how to choose the right coaching style for each of your employees.

09/02/2026

When two employees stop talking to each other, the work stops too. Deadlines slip, meetings get tense, and everyone around them feels it.

Managers are in the best position to turn this around, but most have never been taught how. That's exactly what Manager as Mediator: Make the SHIFT Through Conflict delivers: a practical, proven framework for guiding your team through conflict fairly and confidently, in just one day, live online.

You'll leave with skills you can use in your very next hard conversation, plus CEUs and SHRM PDCs for your professional development record.

Offered in partnership with Graduate School USA. This is the final session of the year, and it's less than four weeks out. Register now: https://buff.ly/atiSB6N

📌 Thursday, September 24

08/31/2026

74% less stress. 50% higher productivity. 40% less burnout.

That's the gap HBR found between high-trust and low-trust companies. Same industries. Same talent. Different evidence.

Because trust isn't created by telling people to trust their leaders. It's created by giving people repeated evidence that they can. Every avoided conversation, unexplained decision, and unaddressed conflict is evidence too. Just not the kind you want.

Fall registration is open for our conflict resolution courses with Graduate School USA: https://buff.ly/qGgxCOd or reach out to us at [email protected]

https://buff.ly/D7wAnpm

Managers have tried various strategies and perks to boost employee engagement—all with little impact on long-term retention and performance. But now, neuroscience offers some answers. Through his research on the brain chemical oxytocin—shown to facilitate collaboration and teamwork—Zak has dev...

08/27/2026

Some certifications pad your resume. This one changes everything.

The Professional Mediation Certificate (PMC) for the Workplace doesn't just add a line to your credentials. It changes how you handle conflict, how you lead conversations, and how far your career can go. Mediation skills travel with you into every meeting, every negotiation, and every difficult moment at work and beyond.

→ Get certified in just 7 days, split over two weeks
→ 100% virtual, taught live by expert mediators with real-world experience
→ Earn 4.2 CEUs and 42 SHRM PDCs
→ Walk away with an accredited certificate and digital badge

Only two cohorts left in 2026: September 15–18 and 22–24, or November 2–5 and 9–10 & 12. Your certificate is closer than you think.

Register today: https://buff.ly/GiL9MVa

Questions? Reach us at [email protected]

08/21/2026

The Professional Mediation Certificate (PMC) for the Workplace is 100% virtual and taught live by seasoned mediators and trainers who bring decades of real-world conflict-resolution experience to every session. You'll practice real mediation skills in real time, with expert coaching and feedback along the way.

→ Get certified in just 7 days, split over two weeks
→ Earn 4.2 CEUs and 42 SHRM PDCs
→ Learn from practitioners, not just presenters

Remaining 2026 cohorts: September 15–18 and 22–24, or November 2–5 and 9–10 & 12.
Contact us for group rates!

Register today: https://buff.ly/CAOgufz

08/19/2026

You know that old saying, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". But in leadership, good intentions are not enough. Behaviors that feel helpful in the moment can sometimes create unintended long-term consequences for performance, accountability, and team culture.

This insightful article from Leadership Development Expert Tony Gambrill helps us understand how well-intentioned leadership behaviors can lead to costly mistakes and offers tips on how to avoid some of the most common traps.

https://buff.ly/1fRNrcf

08/17/2026

"Let's take this offline." Translation: this disagreement is about to disappear without ever getting resolved.

Every workplace runs on disagreements: about priorities, approaches, budgets, deadlines. The teams that thrive aren't the ones that avoid those moments. They're the ones that know how to use them.

The Art of Productive Disagreement is a 2-day, live online course where you'll build the skills to speak up constructively, stay open when challenged, and guide disagreements toward decisions instead of resentment. You'll practice with expert facilitators and earn CEUs and SHRM PDCs.

Offered in partnership with Graduate School USA. Two sessions are open, and the August dates are right around the corner:

📌 August 25 & 26
📌 September 28 & 29

Both run 9:00a – 4:30p ET
Save your seat: https://buff.ly/I7AGnxl

08/14/2026

The Professional Mediation Certificate (PMC) for the Workplace is 100% virtual, but there's nothing passive about it. Every session is taught live by seasoned mediators and trainers who bring decades of real-world conflict resolution experience straight to your screen. You'll practice actual mediation skills in real time, with expert coaching and feedback every step of the way.

→ Get certified in just 7 days, split over two weeks to fit your schedule
→ Earn 4.2 CEUs and 42 SHRM PDCs
→ Learn from practitioners, not just presenters
→ Join from anywhere, in any sector

Only two cohorts left in 2026: September 15–18 and 22–24, or November 2–5 and 9–10 & 12. Seats are filling now.

Register today: https://buff.ly/pYG4gMU

Questions? Reach us at [email protected]

08/11/2026

"Hey, this is a priority." A priority over what? By the end of the day? End of week? Over everything else on your plate?

Vague urgency words like ASAP, urgent, and time-sensitive don't create speed. They create stress, second-guessing, and hours spent running in the wrong direction. In this smart, practical read, Wes Kao shares simple scripts for turning high-strung language into clear, concrete asks:

→ Name the sequence: "Do this first, then this second."
→ Define the timeline: "By Thursday EOD."
→ Say what can wait: "Items 2 and 3 can hold until next month."

Clear communication isn't just efficient. It's one of the best ways to prevent workplace conflict before it starts. Read it today, then share it with your team. https://buff.ly/aAKIfA2

08/10/2026

Most teams don't have a conflict problem. They have a disagreement problem.

Ideas get watered down because nobody wants to push back. Frustrations go unsaid until they boil over. Meetings end in polite agreement, then the real conversation happens in side chats.

Disagreeing well is a skill, and it's one of the most valuable skills a professional can build. The Art of Productive Disagreement is a 2-day, live online course that teaches you how to voice a different view, hear one without getting defensive, and turn everyday disagreements into constructive, outcomes-driven conversations.

You'll practice with expert facilitators and earn CEUs and SHRM PDCs along the way. Offered in partnership with Graduate School USA.

Two sessions are open now, and summer will be gone before you know it:
📌 August 25 & 26
📌 September 28 & 29
Both run 9:00a – 4:30p ET

Register today: https://buff.ly/kRC40zt