Mediation Skills

In one sense, Mediation is no big deal. The need to mediate has been around for as long as people have been fighting, and most of us pick up mediating skills from our everyday experiences. Mediation as a conflict resolution strategy in organisational settings is a relatively new phenomenon. All too often interpersonal conflict, especially harassment cases, go unattended or end up with costly investigations (time, money, resources and personal trauma). Mediation offers an alternative process (not instead) to conflict resolution, allowing parties to resolve problems and let go of their sense of grievance.

Impact/outcomes

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Understand conflict which includes an awareness of the feelings and patterns of behavior that can be present
• Appreciate the conditions which enable mediation to act as a catalyst for constructive conflict resolution
• Be aware of the skills, behaviours and knowledge required of a mediator and of one's own competence in these areas
• Understand and use the process of mediation
• Use active listening skills to develop rapport with disputants
• Develop ways of working that are impartial and which empower disputants to resolve their disputes in a fair and realistic manner
• Use facilitation skills required to manage a face to face mediation session and encourager the disputants to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement
• Develop ways of working with the difficulties and opportunities provided by the diversity of culture and lifestyles within the organization
• Identify where disputants can go if the decision is taken not to pursue mediation
• Monitor, de brief and identify sources of supervision for personal development and support
• Promote equality of opportunity and deal with discriminatory and oppressive behavior

Programme

Day 1

• Groundrules/Code of Conduct
• Myself and conflict - taking a constructive approach
• Understanding disputes and disputants
• Key Skills, behaviours and knowledge
• When is/isn't mediation appropriate

Day 2

• Positions and interests
• Mediation and other forms of Conflict Resolution
• How mediation works - the process
• Stage 1 - First Contact

Day 3

• Stage 2 - Preparing to work on the dispute
• Establishing groundrules
• Setting the scene
• Managing the process - skills practice

Day 4

• Full face to face mediation role plays
• De briefing and preparation for self, tutor and peer group assessments
• Review and closure

NB - Poor help is worse than no help at all. The position of Mediator is not one to be taken lightly. It is therefore recommended that there be an "assessed process" and this will take place with tutor, self and peer group evaluation.

Who should attend

Anyone involved in conflict resolution including Managers, HR Advisors, and Trade Union Officials, Community Workers, Housing Officers, Planning Officers, Social Workers, Police Officers.

 

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