Susan Shearouse, through Frameworks for Agreement, helps people have difficult conversations by giving them the tools and skills to keep their cool, and by providing a safe place for them to solve problems and work together effectively. She has brought expert guidance in collaborative problem solving processes to government agencies, corporations, small businesses and non-profits for over twenty years. Her book, Conflict 101: A Manager’s Guide to Resolving Problems so Everyone Can Get Back to Work, is scheduled for publication through AMACOM ( a division of the American Management Association in Spring 2011.
- What if your team could work together effectively to get the job done?
- What if employees spent less time bickering, more time problem solving?
- What if you faced difficult conversations with confidence?
Susan earned a Master of Science in Conflict Resolution from George Mason University in 1988 and has twenty years experience as a consultant, trainer, mediator and facilitator, helping people resolve their differences, improve their organizations, enhance their conversations, achieve stable partnerships, and lead more effectively.
In addition Susan has served as Executive Director of the National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution (NCPCR), as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Specialist for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), and as adjunct faculty at Georgetown University’s MBA program. She served for ten years on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR) at George Mason University and is a Board member of the Institute for Multi-track Diplomacy.
Her international experience includes conducting mediation training and program design consultation in Bulgaria and to Palestinian attorneys and judges Gaza and the West Bank. She has developed training materials used in Bosnia by the United Nations staff in community building projects. She has trained USDA-sponsored scientists from India, and provided consultation for a Russian delegation in developing ADR systems within their own country. For over ten years, she has taught negotiation skills at the US Dept. of State for foreign nationals as well as Foreign Service Officers working with foreign nationals.
Collaborative Relationships
In addition to working as an independent consultant, Susan maintains collaborative relationships with:
- ADR Vantage, Inc.
- Appleby and Associates
- Carr, Swanson and Randolph LLC
- The Colosi Group
- Kunz and Company
- McNamara and Associates
- Northern Virginia Mediation Service (NVMS)
- SRA International
- Carol Houk International
