Creative Dispute Mediation

Approach to Mediation

Many disagreements can be resolved through mediation before they reach the stage requiring legal action. I highly recommend choosing mediation sooner rather than later!

Once a disagreement reaches the level of a dispute, and then the level of a law suit, the parties have usually become so polarized that it is difficult for an optimum solution to be found at minimum cost - either financially or emotionally.

The mediator’s role is that of peace maker. In that role, the mediator acts as a communication and negotiation facilitator.

In their book, Beyond Reason -Using Emotions as You Negotiate, Roger Fisher and Daniel Shapiro identify five core concerns that apply in all human relationships. Very briefly, they are:

Appreciation - acknowledging that the thoughts, feelings and actions of others have merit.

Affiliation - treating others as colleagues rather than as adversaries.

Autonomy - respecting the freedom of others to decide important matters.

Status - the standing of others is given full recognition where deserved.

Role - one that is chosen to be fulfilling, not one that requires acting or pretense.

Paying close attention to these five core concerns will do wonders toward resolving a wide variety of disputes, and do so in a manner that is most favorable toward restoring fractured relationships.