Exploring the Parallels Between Transformative Mediation and Donna Hicks' Essential Elements of Dignity

Transformative Mediation, developed by Robert A. Baruch Bush and Joseph P. Folger, and Donna Hicks' Ten Essential Elements of Dignity emerged from different traditions within the field of conflict resolution, yet both are grounded in the understanding that conflict is fundamentally about relationships, identity, and the human need to be seen, heard, and respected. Further, both models exemplify and foster the values of the New York State Dispute Resolution Association – dignity, equity, voice, and repair.

While Transformative Mediation emphasizes empowerment and recognition as the mechanisms through which parties transform conflict, Hicks' dignity framework identifies the conditions that foster trust, belonging, and human connection. Together, these approaches offer complementary perspectives on why conflicts escalate and how meaningful change can occur.

Drawing on research from mediation, psychology, organizational behavior, and neuroscience, the session demonstrates how dignity violations often underlie workplace, family, community, and organizational disputes, and how transformative mediation naturally restores dignity without explicitly framing the process in those terms.

This workshop examines the intersections between these two influential models. Participants will explore how the theory and practice of Transformative Mediation, with the emphasis on agency, autonomy, and self-determination, and Donna Hick’s Ten Essential Elements of Dignity, align, augment, and complement each other. Further, participants will discuss how these elements have affected their experiences with professional and personal conflict.

By integrating the insights of transformative mediation with Hicks' dignity framework, practitioners can deepen their understanding of conflict as an opportunity not only for resolution but also for personal growth, relational repair, and organizational renewal.

Our Goals

1) Dignity's role in recognition and empowerment.

2) Recognizing the role of dignity violations in conflict escalation.

3) The value of integrating dignity principles into daily interaction.

About Ed Watt

Ed Watt is a workplace conflict-resolution specialist, mediator, arbitrator, educator, and transportation workforce professional with decades of experience in navigating complex workplace disputes. Trained in both Facilitative and Transformative mediation, he has extensive experience in labor-management relations, negotiations, grievance resolution, arbitrations, and organizational conflict in unionized and non-union workplaces. A former frontline transit employee and senior labor executive, he brings a systems perspective to workplace conflict, integrating organizational leadership, psychological safety, and evidence-based conflict-resolution practices. Mr. Watt has facilitated transportation and workplace research through the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and Cornell University's Institute for Workplace Studies. He is a Consulting Associate with the Mineta Transportation Institute. He holds a Master of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations from Baruch College/Cornell University and is completing a Master of Science in Transportation Management at San José State University.