MEDIATION
Susan guides people in conflict to mutually acceptable agreements that resolve conflicts and problems. Initially trained in mediation in 1985, Susan has been certified as a mediator of court-referred cases in the state of Virgina since the inception of that program in 1993. In addition, she is certified by the state as a mentor mediator and mediation trainer.
Her experience as a mediator includes
- mediation of supervisor/employee issues within large organizations,
- contract negotiations between management and labor using IBB processes
- contract issues for non-profits and small businesses,
- disputes between homeowners and their homeowner associations,
- community issues,
- neighborhood disputes, and
- Equal Employment Opportunity complaints filed by employees against federal agencies at both informal and formal stages of the process.
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Why Mediate?
For many people mediation is an appealing process because it can save time and money. The court system is notoriously slow, legal fees can be prohibitively expensive. The real benefit of mediation is in the quality of the outcome. Solutions found in mediation are much more likely to resolve the underlying issues of the dispute. The parties discuss their own interests and concerns, and create solutions that are acceptable to everyone.
Once commitment to a solution has been reached, implementation of the agreement is a much more likely result. Decisions imposed from the outside by a judge or arbitrator often create their own set of problems, as people avoid following through on decisions or begin the next battle from the ashes of the first.
When long-term relationships are involved, those relationships can be repaired, restored, or maintained. People work together to find mutually acceptable solutions, rather than as adversaries attempting to establish blame and fault. This is a process that is designed to end in a handshake. Each person focused on where we go from here, not the past.
How can the process be both voluntary AND binding?
People participating in mediation are not compelled to reach any decisions through the process. Any decisions that are reached or commitments that are made are voluntary. However, when a contract is written and signed during mediation, it can be enforceable in the same way that any negotiated contract can.
