In my work as an organizational behavior consultant and mediation instructor, I continually experience the challenges in bridging the gap between what individuals and organizations want to communicate and what the other party perceives. In effecting change, perception is king. Facts only stand as facts if both parties to the communication define them as facts. The term ‘sound science’ has been used to support both sides of political discussions on climate change and the merits of Yucca Mtn as a high-level nuclear waste repository. This is the zenith in the futility of ideology, the standstill in progress that comes from sacrificing the shared good for a singular perspective. Yet, consensus can be reached through a process of discovering the deeper needs and concerns of the people on both sides of any issue, a process that usually results in the discovery of more commonality than difference. As social animals, human beings are driven to connect, to rely on each other, to find common goals; this is the f