About John Ford
Testimonials | Experiences in Southern Africa
John Ford is a workplace mediator, negotiation educator, and creator of practical tools for emotional clarity and conflict resolution.
Originally trained as a human rights attorney in South Africa, John began his career representing survivors of injustice during a pivotal era in Namibia’s history. After independence, his focus shifted to labor and employment law—where he saw firsthand how unresolved workplace conflict erodes trust and productivity.
In 1996, he moved to California and trained as a mediator. Since then, he has successfully mediated hundreds of workplace disputes and worked with countless teams to transform tension into clarity, connection, and forward movement.
John is known for his ability to balance empathy with accountability, and structure with emotional intelligence. His trainings—delivered to thousands across industries—help people communicate effectively, resolve conflict with dignity, and collaborate across differences. He teaches skills like negotiation, mediation, facilitation, emotional intelligence, and customer service with depth and approachability.
John currently teaches negotiation and mediation at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). He’s taught organizational collaboration through Creighton University, conflict management at JFK University, and mediation to business and psychology students at Golden Gate University.
He’s a past president of the Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California (ADRNC) and served as managing editor of Mediate.com from 2000 to 2010.
John is the author of Peace at Work: The HR Manager’s Guide to Workplace Mediation, and the creator of The Empathy Set—a powerful communication tool made up of feelings and needs cards, now also available as a mobile app. His mission is to help people move beyond blame and fear, and toward understanding, restoration, and shared dignity.