Hello, Clive here,

I had my own experience of coping with change last week. What was it? I travelled on a London bus for the first time in my life. I was travelling with a colleague. A few weeks ago when we were discussing our upcoming trip from Paddington to Holborn she told me that she had an aversion to being in confined spaces and was unable to travel on the underground.

I went straight into trying to convince her that everything would be fine and that as an advanced traveller of London underground myself, she would have a highly experienced companion. I thought no more of it until three days later she presented me with a printed timetable of bus routes and times. I felt a shudder down my spine as the thought of travelling on a London bus looked like it would become a reality. I’m quite used to walking, taking a cab or jumping on a tube but taking a London bus was an experience I had so far shied away from encountering.

Anyway, last Thursday, we did it. We got the number 7 bus at 7.43am from Paddington and arrived at Russell Square at around 8.05am. It was easy and actually rather enjoyable. It even brought back some childhood memories. My father was a bus driver in his early career and used to take me and my siblings for rides in the summer holidays.

As I reflected on the experience I felt ashamed at myself for going into auto-pilot mode and being initially reluctant to entertain the thought of doing something different.

Anyway, you have probably already worked out the moral of the story. Change is all over organisations like a rash at the moment. Perhaps you are even personally impacted. You never know. Like me, you might come to realise that there was nothing to worry about after all as the change one may have dreaded turns out to be just fine or even much better than anticipated.

Last week the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) announced that Globis Mediation Group has been selected as the sole provider and partner for the provision of its workplace mediation training programme. The Institute will be offering three workplace mediation training courses as part of the new arrangement.

We are delighted to have won the training contract. It represents a significant development for us. The Institute has over 12,000 members and offices in over 100 countries. The first course is scheduled to run later this month.

For more on the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, click here:

Finally, a reminder that, in conjunction with the department for business, we are hosting a 60 minute webinar on the current government resolving disputes consultation at 2.00pm on Monday 14th March 2011.

If you are planning to join us but haven’t signed up yet, please be in touch with Helen Robinson to secure your place. It is your chance for your organisation to ensure its voice is heard as part of the consultation.

For more on the government consultation, please click here:

Trustee opportunities Mental Health Foundation - Harvey Nash

Have a good week,