(January 4, 2018 at 4:48 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:(January 4, 2018 at 1:28 pm)Kernel Sohcahtoa Wrote: I concur that mediation can only be successful if the parties are willing to participate. In addition, it is also essential that the mediator has full authority and control over the mediation process (if the mediator's strings are being pulled by some other party who is only interested in satisfying his or her agenda and/or doesn't care about the conflict resolution process, then IMO, the mediation process will be hindered) and has no vested interest in the outcome and is dedicated to guiding the parties through the conflict resolution/mediation process: IMO, any direction should really come through the usage of questions that our ultimately geared toward helping the parties take ownership of their conflict and its resolution.
P.S. Out of curiosity, have you ever been a mediator, Thump?
No, I haven't. But as a retail manager, that has fallen on my shoulders at times, in order to resolve tension or conflict in the team.
That's pretty cool, Thump. I've not had the opportunity to be a professional or community mediator, but I do know from working in retail that resolving workplace conflicts is no easy task and that you've probably had plenty of people coming to your "mediation table". It seems that mediation can be a useful and important leadership skill and has many applications, especially in the workplace.
