Essay on "Breaking Robert's Rules (Brr)"

Quoted Instructions for "Breaking Robert's Rules (Brr)" Assignment:

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1. In Chapters 4 and 5 of Breaking Robert’s Rules (BRR), Susskind emphasizes the value that a good facilitator can add in helping a group reach the best possible outcomes using the consensus-based approach. Looking back at the Bullard or Harborco negotiation, how might a neutral facilitator have added value?

2. Think back to a well-facilitated group that you were a part of in the last year or two. What specific things did the facilitator do that you consider effective? What personal traits or aspects of their interpersonal style struck you as effective?

3. With his Circle of Conflict, Moore is suggesting that mediators can and should intervene in different ways depending on the cause(s) of the conflict. What types of conflict do you see in the currently pending Keystone XL pipeline project?1 If you were brought in to mediate this very contentious issue, how might you intervene to help the parties negotiate effectively and potentially reach agreement?

4. Moore notes the ongoing debate in the mediation community around what to do when there are significant power imbalances within a group negotiating. Does the mediator have a responsibility to help the weaker parties for the sake of a better outcome overall? Should their support be purely procedural in manner, avoiding the substantive? Alternatively, should mediators strictly avoid dealing with power imbalances for the sake of maintaining neutrality? What do you think?