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Mediation's many faces-know what to expect!
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The mediation process is far from uniform. Some mediators are evaluative, others are facilitative or transformative. Some mediators caucus, the rest would scoff at the idea of separating the parties. Some let the parties get worked up, others outlaw outbursts during a session. Some utilize visioning, while others have never even heard of this technique. The permutations are endless.
So how do clients know what to expect?
Clients should request that their mediator explore his or her process and mediation philosophy before beginning a session. Parties often face mediation with certain expectations about how the process will run and assumptions about the role of their mediator that may or may not match up with the reality of their selected neutral. By laying down the framework for the process and their role as the mediator, the neutral should clear up any false or misguided assumptions, ensure that the parties share their same values about mediation and make sure the clients are satisfied with their approach.
Resolving conflict is a difficult process that requires trust, openness and perseverance. It can most successfully happen when the parties and their mediator are on the same page about how the process will work and how the mediator will participate. Make sure that your mediation session is built on a solid foundation of mutual understandings and agreements about your neutral’s role and the framework of the process itself and you are set for successful and constructive dispute resolution.
Read more about Mediation: http://www.examiner.com/x-28098-SF-Workplace-Mediation-Examiner
