Artistry in Practice: Intentions to Carry Into the New Year
As a new year begins, many of us take time to reflect on how we want to show up in our work, our relationships, and the challenges we know will come. While reading Perspectives on Conflict by Professor Ken Fox of Hamline University, I came across a framework that immediately resonated. In his book, Professor Fox references Michael Lang and Alison Taylor’s concept of artistry in practice from The Making of a Mediator: Developing Artistry in Practice. Although the framework is rooted in mediation, the ideas feel relevant far beyond the mediation room. Lang and Taylor describe artistry not as an innate talent, but as a way of practicing that develops over time through experience, reflection, and intentional learning. They identify six hallmarks of artistry in practice. While originally written for mediators, these hallmarks offer useful intentions for anyone navigating complexity, uncertainty, emotion, or conflict in the year ahead.
Attention to detail
At its core, attention to detail is about being fully present. In mediation, this means noticing what is said and unsaid, verbal and nonverbal cues, emotional shifts, and relational dynamics. As a New Year intention, attention to detail reminds us of the value of slowing down, listening carefully, and responding with intention rather than habit.
Curiosity
Curiosity is central to effective mediation, and it is just as valuable in everyday life. It invites genuine interest in other perspectives and helps us avoid quick assumptions. Carrying curiosity into 2026 can help us stay open, even when conversations feel familiar or disagreements feel well worn.
Exploration and discovery
Conflict often narrows our thinking and pushes us toward quick conclusions. This hallmark encourages us to pause and leave room for exploration. In mediation, that space allows new options to emerge. In other areas of life, it can open the door to insights we might not have seen if we rushed to resolution.
Developing and testing formulations
Lang and Taylor emphasize holding our interpretations lightly. For mediators, this means forming working understandings of what might be happening while staying open to being wrong. As a broader intention, this supports humility and flexibility, reminding us that our first take is rarely the whole story.
Interpreting with resilience and flexibility
Mediation rarely unfolds in a straight line, and neither does life. Strong emotions, setbacks, and unexpected turns are part of most meaningful processes. Resilience helps us stay engaged when things get hard, while flexibility allows us to adjust without losing our footing.
Maintaining patience and vision
In mediation, progress often happens in small steps. This hallmark reflects the balance between patience and purpose. Applied more broadly, it reminds us that meaningful change takes time and that steady movement forward is often more realistic than quick results. Together, these six hallmarks offer a thoughtful set of intentions for the year ahead. Whether in mediation, caregiving, leadership, family life, or everyday relationships, they invite reflection not just on what we do, but on how we show up when things feel complex or emotionally charged. Artistry in practice, as Lang and Taylor describe and as Professor Fox highlights, is an ongoing commitment to learning, reflection, and intentional presence. These hallmarks offer a helpful way to think about how we want to show up in 2026.
Fox, Ken. Perspectives on Conflict. Hamline University Press, 2024.
Lang, Michael D., and Alison T. Taylor. The Making of a Mediator:
Developing Artistry in Practice. Jossey-Bass, 2000.