Great new article from ADR pioneer David Hoffman on Mediate.com today. From the conclusion: "Because email is such a new medium {...}the techniques for successful communication via computer may be less intuitive and require more conscious attention...
Experience suggests that there is considerable potential in email communications for both misunderstanding and enhanced understanding. As Collaborative Practitioners, we have the added benefit of working on cases with colleagues who join forces with us in trying to achieve higher levels of understanding in all of our communications – in person as well as in cyberspace. By adding more effective email communication to our toolbox, we can achieve higher level of collaboration and thus better results for our clients."
I think this is a watershed moment, when leading "face-to-face" dispute resolution practitioners are writing articles that could have been written by ODR practitioners just a few years ago. Jim Melamed always said that one day in the future, if you squinted your eyes just a little bit, ODR and ADR would become indistinguishable. This article is an indication that the day may have arrived where that is becoming true.