Resolution Workplace Conflict

Information for Participants
Midlands Mediation Ltd
	01623 706020
www.midlandsdove.co.uk		

Mediation – A Process for Resolution

Mediation is a positive opportunity to resolve concerns. It is a chance to

•	Talk constructively

•	Work together to clarify the issues to be addressed

•	Say and hear important things which may not have been communicated before

•	Understand each other’s perspective

•	Problem-solve and negotiate a way forward together.

The mediator acts as an impartial facilitator to help those involved find their own resolution to the situation. The mediator provides a confidential and independent process.

The mediator will not advise, judge or decide for you. The mediator is skilled in negotiation, communication and conflict resolution. In particular, the mediator is expert in helping people find better ways of handling differences and disagreements.

Mediation has two stages

1.	Individual private meetings

2.	A mediation session with all concerned.

Individual sessions: As a first step, the mediator will talk with you privately and individually. The mediator will listen to your concerns, answer your questions about the process and explain how mediation helps resolve conflict.

Joint session: The mediator will bring participants together to talk, listen and collaborate. The mediator will ensure that each person feels able to say all that they need to say. They will work to ensure a better understanding between you. The mediator will help you work on any obstacles to communication and co-operation.

This pack covers

•	An outline of the mediation process with clear steps and stages

•	Preparing yourself for mediation: questions to get the most out of the opportunity

•	Mediation benefits and outcomes

•	Administration.

Confidentiality Statement: Mediation is a confidential process. Information and communications that take place within the mediation cannot be talked about or used elsewhere. The mediator or participants cannot be called as a witness or to give evidence or make representation in other formal, administrative, arbitral, or judicial procedure.
Individual sessions

This is a private, confidential session usually lasting an hour. The meeting may be in person or over the phone.

In the session the mediator will:

1.	Explain how mediation works including: Impartiality, confidentiality, independence and the voluntary nature of mediation.

2.	Listen to you. The majority of the session is a chance for you to talk and for the mediator to listen. The mediator is interested in understanding:

•	Your view of the situation, how you feel and what is important to you

•	What you would like to change or resolve

•	What ideas or options you have for resolving the situation.

3.	Once you feel the mediator has fully understood your concerns, then the mediator will say more about how mediation works and answer your questions.

4.	The mediator will work with you to decide if mediation can offer value in your situation.

5.	Finally the mediator will check –

•	Do you want to use mediation and with whom do you want to mediate?

•	What are the issues you would like to bring to mediation?

There will be 15 minutes between each individual session; this is for the benefit of participants who may feel uncomfortable seeing other participants.

Preparing for mediation: questions to ask yourself

1.	What do you want and what makes that important to you?

2.	How has the situation arisen and how have people contributed to this?

3.	What is it about the situation that makes it difficult for you?

4.	How has the workplace or the organisation contributed to the situation?

5.	How have you yourself contributed to this situation? What have you done or said? What have you not done or not said?

6.	What can you do to move this situation forward for yourself and others?

7.	What could you do to help the person you are in conflict with move forward?

8.	How can the mediation session benefit you?
Mediation session

All those involved come together to work on the issues and resolve them. The mediation will be held at an agreed or neutral venue. The mediation can take between 2 and 4 hours depending on the number of participants and the nature of the issues.

The purpose of mediation is to

•	Bring people together to clarify the issues

•	Talk and listen constructively

•	Promote understanding

•	Work on communication and behaviours

•	Think of different ways to resolve concerns

•	Find solutions to practical problems

•	Repair and re-build working relationships.

Steps and stages of the mediation process

Setting the scene: Opening the meeting and agreeing a few ground rules to give the meeting the best possible chance of success. The mediator hears briefly from each person on their main issues without interruption from other participants.

Agree an issue list: A chance to respond to what has been said and begin to say more about the issues. Here we will agree an informal agenda for the session, a set of headings to give structure and focus to the conversation ahead. The list is flexible and can be changed at any time.

In-depth conversation: Once the issue list is agreed, we move into a fuller conversation exploring what’s important, why it is important and aim to build a better understanding between you.

Resolution: Once a better understanding is in place, we focus on practical ideas and options to move forward. At the end of the session we check for fairness and satisfaction before finalising any resolution.

At any time participants can take a break or ask to talk with the mediator privately.

Administration

If there are any agreements, these can be emailed to you after the session if wanted. Evaluation forms will be emailed to you after the mediation process.

Reporting

The mediator will provide a brief report to the referrer or purchaser of services. This will be a process statement and will not include any content or anything that was said from any part of the mediation process. It will note whether the situation was resolved or unresolved.

The mediation session offers opportunities to

•	Say what is important

•	Listen to each other’s concerns

•	Understand what is important to each of you and why

•	Work together to unlock the difficulties in your working relationship

•	Understand the situation differently

•	Co-operate and develop a better working relationship

•	Find new and different approaches to move forward.

The process is flexible. You have the opportunity to meet each other directly or to talk indirectly through separate sessions with the mediator acting as a go-between. There is scope to take time out to reflect at any point, or speak with the mediator in private at any time. Direct conversations between you are often the most useful and powerful when it comes to achieving change.

Mediation outcomes

Mediation offers a range of outcomes –

•	Raising and clarifying issues

•	Redefining problems jointly rather than individually

•	An appreciation of differences

•	Understanding the impact and effect on each other

•	A better understanding of each other and some new perspectives

•	A compromise – a ‘good enough’ improvement

•	Repair and rebuilding of the working relationship

•	Win-win outcome – an outcome that changes how you see the situation and offers value for both

•	Complete transformation of the relationship.

Many of these will feel impossible at the moment.

There is always potential to change situations for the better. Mediation has helped many people resolve seemingly impossible situations. Mediation is a powerful opportunity for progress.