Third Ear Conflict Resolution was founded on June 23, 2003, as a litigation firm assisting employers and employees resolve their workplace disputes, but its founder, Nance L. Schick, Esq., knew litigation was limited in its ability to resolve those disputes completely. She had been a plaintiff in a sex discrimination lawsuit against a prior employer. Although she won a $90,000.00 default judgment, she and her attorneys never collected a penny of it. She lost friends, confidence, and opportunities in the industry. She wanted more for her clients, and she knew mediation was one way to help them get it.
In 2005, she completed her first mediation training post-law school. She was certified by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and immediately, yet quietly, incorporated alternative dispute resolution into each of her cases. By 2007, her clients were saying things like, “We knew there was something different about you, but we didn’t know what it was.” They were pleased with Nance’s holistic approach, and she continued to deepen it with additional training and education.
In 2006, she introduced the Third Ear Conflict Resolution process at the Southern California Mediation Association conference. Based on mediation techniques, she has been teaching people to use the process to resolve disputes in all areas of their lives. After a violent assault in 2014, she memorialized the process in her DIY Conflict Resolution book.
Over the years, the firm was known as The Law Studio of Nance L. Schick, giving a nod to her clients in the entertainment and sports industries. In 2020, the courts authorized attorneys to practice under trade names, as long as those names were not misleading. The firm was quickly rebranded to reflect what it had been for most of its existence.
Vision
We envision a world where court is the last resort for people in dispute.
Mission
We help employers build more peaceful and productive work experiences.
Listen for the Hurts You Can Heal
When you look in the center of the English word for corazon, herz, or coeur, there it is: h-E-A-R-t.
Your third ear is in your heart. Not literally, of course. But this simple concept and the Third Ear logo are intended to remind you to slow down when you are emotionally charged. Look beyond the obvious for the fear, pain, and human vulnerabilities in people, even when they are yelling at you. Listen for the hurts you can heal. This will make you a more effective problem-solver–at work and at home.
When emotions go up, intelligence goes down. ~ Robert Kiyosaki
Confront High Emotions Effectively
The Third Ear Resolution process is a two-part process. The Seven Choices help you reconnect with your more rational, intellectual side so you will be better able to identify solutions when you involve others in the process. You can, of course, repeat them as necessary throughout the process.
The Seven Choices:
- Forgive yourself
- Acknowledge yourself
- Forgive the world
- Free the emotions
- Clear your mind
- Assume you know nothing
- Listen with your third ear
Collaborate with Any Willing Participant
The Five Actions are typically taken with the other person or people affected by the conflict. We clearly define the conflict from each person’s perspective, identify each person’s interests in the conflict, and play with a full range of possibilities for resolution. Once we have some specific, measurable actions each person can take, we can begin to create a new future for everyone.
The Five Actions:
- Define the conflict succinctly
- Identify each party’s interests
- Play with the possibilities for resolution
- Create the future with a specific, actionable plan
- Stay on PARR: Planning, Acting, Revising, and Repeating, until you get the desired results
