Slowly but surely, more and more of us in the alternative dispute resolution field are recognizing the power of technology to transform the way we work. Technology has not only grown more accessible, but there is an increasing—and often bewildering—array of tools available.

To help mediators make sense of the abundance of technological innovations to choose among, Tammy Lenski, profiled here last year, has launched MediatorTech, a blog aimed at aiding ADR professionals “build, promote and manage thriving practices by leveraging technology to make those jobs easier.”

MediatorTech promises to do much to demystify and bring within reach the realm of technology. Posts so far include “How to Teleconference for Free“, “Think Blogging Is for You?”, and “5 Questions Before Starting an E-Zine“.

Regular readers of this blog may remember a post from November, “Test of character: using instruments to probe conflict styles and moral intuition“, which linked to a free online conflict style test, the Adult Personal Conflict Style Inventory. Its creator, Ron Kraybill, a trainer and advisor in conflict transformation and peacebuilding since 1979 and an Associate Professor of Conflict Studies at Eastern Mennonite University, has just launched a new turbo-charged version.

Style Matters: The Kraybill Conflict Style Inventory, 22 pages in length, recognizes cultural diversity among users, includes a greatly expanded interpretation section along with pages of practical tips for each style, and provides discussion questions for group leaders and trainers. What makes Style Matters especially useful is that it provides two scores for test-takers: one for “calm” conditions, another for “storm”. It’s also easy to take and to score, which makes it suitable for a wide range of audiences. You can view sample pages of Style Matters in PDF format here at the Riverhouse ePress web site.

Style Matters is not only robust but affordable: it can be ordered online at Riverhouse ePress for $3.95 to $5.95 depending upon order size, which puts it more easily within the reach of community mediation programs and not-for-profits. There is also an offer to trainers who can request a free one-time use of this inventory.