Table of Contents
Advantages in using the mediation service:
- The process is non-adversarial
- Assures confidentiality, impartiality and neutrality
- non-legalistic
- Multilingual - cross language divides
Mediation is a voluntary and confidential process in which the parties attempt to resolve a dispute through direct communication in a private, informal environment, facilitated by a neutral third party, the Mediator. Mediation provides participants an opportunity to collaboratively design creative solutions to conflict and repair professional relationships. Bolt Europa endevors to make the mediation process comfortable, accessible, multilingual, expedient, and strictly confidential.
Although severe conflicts are likely rare within organizations, and many people will work through any disagreements in a mature way themselves, mediation can be a useful service for conflicts between organizations or groups of stakeholders. It can allow them to deal confidently and effectively with more deep-seated conflict, as soon as it arises within their teams.
Participants, not mediators, control the outcome of mediation. Mediators simply help participants communicate their concerns and interests, sometimes across language barriers. Once people in conflict have an opportunity to listen and be heard, they often develop mutually agreeable resolutions. If not, they have the option of concluding mediation at any time.
Mediation is:
**Voluntary**
Mediation is most successful when participants are choosing to take part in the process. Both the decision to attend mediation and how to resolve the conflict is in the control of the parties.
**Informal**
Mediation is more like a conversation than a court proceeding. Aside from confidentiality, there are no procedural formalities in mediation. Participants do not need to prepare evidence, develop arguments or hire representatives for mediation.
**Confidential**
Mediation works best when participants communicate freely. With very few limited exceptions, everything said in mediation remains confidential. Regardless of the outcome, participants may not discuss the content of a mediation session with others.
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIATOR:
- The mediator acts to build, maintain, and improve communication between the disputants
- The mediator facilitates information to and between the disputants
- The mediator must 'befriend' the disputants in the mediation process to enhance trust and confidence
- Cultivate a willingness to engage in cooperative negotiation
Types of Conflict
Usually about identity or self-image, or important aspects of a relationship such as loyalty, breach of confidence, perceived betrayal or lack of respect.
About goals, structures, procedures and means: something fairly tangible and structural within the organisation or for an individual.
The ways in which the means of achieving goals are distributed, such as time, money, space and staff. They may also be about factors related to these, such as relative importance, or knowledge and expertise. An example would be a couple disagreeing over whether to spend a bonus on a holiday or to repair the roof.
Mediation services are common for conflicts that arise as a result of:
- Poor communication
- Broken professional relationships
- Low workplace morale
- Work role and work boundary issues
- Conflicts arising from misperceptions or miscommunications
Some of the value of our medation service comes from:
- Creating a Safe Environment: Mediation establishes a neutral and safe space where all parties can feel heard and respected. This safety is crucial for open and honest communication.
- Facilitating Constructive Communication: Structured dialogue helps prevent conversations from becoming confrontational or emotionally charged, focusing instead on understanding each party’s perspective.
- Encourages Active Listening: By structuring the conversation, mediation ensures that each party actively listens to the other, fostering a deeper understanding of the underlying issues.
- Promotes Problem-Solving: The structured approach of mediation shifts the focus from blame to identifying and solving the underlying problems, encouraging collaborative solutions.
- Provides Clarity and Focus: Mediation helps keep the conversation focused on the issues at hand, avoiding tangents and ensuring that all relevant points are addressed.
- Ensures Equal Participation: A structured conversation ensures that all parties have an equal opportunity to share their views, preventing any one party from dominating the discussion.
- Aids in Emotional Management: The mediator can guide the conversation in a way that manages emotions, allowing for a calmer, more reasoned exchange of ideas.
- Builds Toward Resolution: By systematically addressing each issue, mediation builds momentum toward mutual understanding and, ultimately, resolution.
- Enhances Understanding and Empathy: The process encourages parties to understand each other’s perspectives, promoting empathy and potentially transforming the relationship.
