Maximise Your Success in Mediation
Mediation gives people a chance to resolve a dispute on their own terms. Yet simply attending is rarely enough. The way you prepare, listen and respond can make a real difference to what becomes possible, and achieving success in mediation.
Start by thinking beyond your opening position. What is most important to you? Which concerns need to be addressed, and where might there be room to move? It can help to consider what the other person may need from the conversation, even if you disagree with their account of what happened.
Come prepared to explain your perspective clearly, but also to listen. In many disputes, people have spent so long defending their position that they have had little opportunity to understand the other side’s concerns. Listening does not mean accepting blame or giving up something important. It may reveal a practical solution that neither party had considered.
Be open about what a workable outcome would look like. In a workplace dispute, that might mean agreeing how colleagues will communicate and work together. In a commercial dispute, it could involve payment terms, future arrangements or an orderly way to end a business relationship. The most useful agreement is one the people involved understand and can put into practice.
Mediation does not require you to have all the answers before the conversation begins. It asks you to take part in good faith, consider your options and make your own decisions. Even when a complete agreement is out of reach, the discussion can clarify what remains in dispute and what should happen next.
In the accompanying video, Colin Bourne considers how to get the most from mediation. If you are preparing for a workplace or commercial mediation, an initial conversation with Colin can help you understand the process and approach it with greater confidence.
Contact Colin for a confidential initial discussion about your dispute.
Comments