Mediation: Why Asking the Right Questions Matters

Try as they may, clients and their respective attorneys sometimes fail to come up with a negotiated agreement that they can all live with and arrive at a no deal situation also known as an empasse. Before taking on expensive litigation, some parties try to make a last ditch effort to resolve their problems through mediation, in which a neutral mediator helps the parties resolve their conflict. Some parties also acquire an attorney to serve as a legal advisor during the process who will “watch their backs”.

In an article entitled, “Navigating the Mediation Process”, edited by Harvard’s PON Staff, it was pointed out that the mediation process involves two stages:

Stage One: The Joint Session whereby the parties are typically brought together to a) educate the Mediator about the reason for the “dispute”, b) to uncover different perspectives on the facts and c) to determine what it would take for the parties to arrive at a satisfactory resolution.

Stage Two: If emotions run high, the Mediator may proceed to separating the parties in an effort to continue settlement efforts. In separate sessions, called Caucuses, the Mediator meets with each party separately, assuring the parties that any information shared in the caucus would not be divulged unless given permission to do so.

In both Stages, the Mediator should be aware of the importance of asking the right questions. Since the Mediator is privy to the perspectives of both sides of the mediation, it can be a real challenge to remain neutral, especially if the Mediator sees a solution that is heavily weighted toward one side. The Mediator’s job is to remain neutral at all costs and refrain from offering advice to one or both parties. Doing so can backfire, especially if a suggestion made to a party is perceived as leaning to the advantage of the opposing party and will then jeopardize the Mediator's position of neutrality. One way to avoid a biased position is to ask questions that get the parties to “think about” certain options. Because the mediation's core interests are all about a successful negotiation, a good Mediator will ask the parties specific questions to flush out underlying issues, their reasons for positional thinking, and possible options leading to a resolution. Phrases like, “Have you thought about….” or “What do you think would be the consequences/benefits of that option to you or the other party?” Questions, if formulated correctly and wisely used by the Mediator to help parties create value for themselves and the other side, can be a path for the parties to come up with a resolution themselves.  In essence, the Mediator facilitates the process of creating and claiming value, brought about by the parties themselves.  This usually leads to better resolutions and greater by-in by both of the parties.

Contributor:
Irene P. Zucker, TCAM
IN Mediation Services
http://www.inmediation.us/

©2012 IN Mediation Services. All Rights Reserved.

MEDIATION: The Cure for Conflict



Although many have heard about Mediation as an alternative to resolving disputes, a lot of people don't realize that the process has been around a long time. Mediation  has been practiced since the earliest of times by chieftains, parents,  elders, and wise people who brought  fighting  parties together, and after listening to their complaints, helped them understand the other party's point of view as well as the futility of prolonging the conflict.   Throughout time, Mediation has been an ideal conduit through which broken communications between warring or disputing parties, have been restored.  

In today's world, Mediation has helped to make life more palatable between neighbors, siblings, friends, couples and people doing business.  It has been used to solve labor conflicts and to end strikes,  to settle differences between countries, to bring  an end to disagreements in the interactions of people, and ultimately, to help restore peace of mind.  

More often than not, conflict arises when one party has misunderstood or misinterpreted another party's comment, and never took the time to clarify what the first party was trying to convey.  Assumptions are made, bad feelings escalate and ties are broken.   Mediation serves as a vehicle whereby parties have the opportunity to be "heard" in a safe environment conducive to discussion focused on a resolution.  It becomes crucial, that the Mediator with the right skills, take charge of the Mediation process at the outset.  In short, a succesfull  mediatior is one who (a) listens, (b) does not take sides, (c) does not tell either party what they should do or how they should act, and (d) helps the parties find common ground that will lead to the end of conflict.

Contributor:

Norberto Kanner, TCAM

IN Mediation Services

http://www.inmediation.us/

©2012 IN Mediation Services. All Rights Reserved.

Is Mediation the Same Thing as Arbitration?

Many times, the term Arbitration or Mediation is inserted into a contract or agreement to handle the situation where the parties no longer agree and the relationship is broken. This clause is meant to establish a less expensive alternative to litigation, which would include extensive attorney time and potentially even a trial in a Court of Law. The terms Arbitration and Mediation may seem to be used interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing.

An Arbitrator is credentialed and acts like a Judge, who after hearing the details of the case, will make their own decision on what the outcome should be (a Judgement). This Judgement is final, and may not be wholly in the favor of either the Plaintiff (the party bringing the case) or the Respondent (the defending party).

A Mediator, on the other hand, is usually credentialed and acts like a Neutral (a third party with no bias or opinion about the details of the case). Their function is to facilitate the negotiations between the parties of the case, pointing out areas of agreement, and applying various techniques to encourage the parties to come to a mutually agreed-to negotiated settlement. The actual details of the final binding agreement are determined completely by the parties to the case. In many situations, a failure of a mediation to resolve a disagreement can result in continued litigation and trial.

So the major difference between an Arbitration and a Mediation is that in the former, someone else decides the outcome of the case, whereas in the latter, the parties themselves determine what the best decision should be to resolve the conflict.

Contributor:

Irene P. Zucker, TCAM

IN Mediation Services

http://www.inmediation.us/

©2011 IN Mediation Services. All Rights Reserved.