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Interactive Mediation©
Conflict Management Plus Ltd are the pioneers of the UK’s premiere model of facilitative mediation. For almost twenty years we have been getting people in conflict to interact directly with one another in order restore communication, rebuild working relationships and resolve disputes.
Interactive mediation:
- quickly gets to the roots of interpersonal conflict, helps people build bridges, regain a measure of trust and therefore achieves fair, balanced outcomes
- encourages people to re-set expectations, rebuild understanding and improve working relationships thereby enhancing motivation and effectiveness
- works with a wide range of disputes, is capable of handling complex and emotive issues such as perceptions of inequality and unfair treatment
- is effective with a diverse range of parties; is tailored to the parties needs, and able to break down communication barriers and misunderstandings
- produces excellent settlement rates
How does it work?
Preparing the parties to work together on their dispute
Interactive mediators meet with the parties separately first to build rapport, explore feelings and concerns and encourage commitment to the process, but the main work is done in joint mediation sessions with both / all parties present.
Interactive mediators work with the parties at three levels – content, interaction, and process (CIP™).
Managing the content – providing time for reflection, identifying issues and concerns, and refocusing on solutions
The content is the ‘what’ of the dispute – what’s happened, different perceptions of events, different definitions of the problem that is causing the conflict. An interactive mediator helps those involved to identify what’s happened, what’s important, and what they need from one another. In this model parties are also asked to reflect on what they may bring to the conflict and what they can offer to assist resolution. This approach promotes an exchange feelings, information and perceptions, building understanding of what has happened and why. It then assists the parties in identifying ways of getting their needs met in a mutually beneficial way.
Managing the interaction – the heart of conflict management and dispute resolution
In any conflict there is an interaction between parties. In an unresolved conflict the way the parties think and feel about one another has often become negative, and consequently they are behaving in ways which at best keeps the conflict going, or at worst, escalate it.
In interactive mediation the mediator helps the parties talk openly about their interaction – how they have been behaving, communicating and how they perceive one another. This opens up conversations between the parties about low trust, miscommunication and feelings of being undervalued or undermined. If the parties can have this conversation in a non-blaming way, supported by an impartial mediator, then they often move on to redesigning the way they communicate, give feedback and work together in the future. Bit by bit they suspend their view of the other person as the enemy, and trust one another enough to talk about how they can work more effectively together. They may not still like one another at the end of the process, but parties who go through this process often do experience positive shifts of perception about their colleagues, and get a lot of useful, constructive feedback about their own behaviour.
By offering recognition to their needs and feelings, the mediator builds a deep rapport with the parties, which enables them to go on to offer this recognition to each other. As a result, many parties go in to the more specific problem-solving mode more easily and effectively, as they are no longer blocked by emotional gridlock. The parties are also enabled to continue communicating effectively and become more capable of having difficult conversations once mediation has concluded.
Creating an accessible process in which the parties take ownership
The process part of a conflict is how the parties, and any third parties involved, have chosen to flag up the problems and work on them. People’s expectations of justice, fairness and what’s right and wrong often come into play here. Perceptions of power and power roles within organisations and communities also play a big part in how people choose to deal with a conflict. Interactive Mediators ensure that the mediation process is conducted in a fair and equitable manner. It is something done with the parties, and by the parties, not to the parties.
Power imbalances and perceptions of inequality are not ignored. Parties are invited to talk openly about their perceptions of power, and how to handle them. The interactive mediation process empowers parties to adopt a win/win approach to conflict. It is structured, takes pace in a safe, neutral environment, and is robust. Interactive mediators are encouraged to support positive behaviour and challenge behaviour which is unlikely to maintain rapport between the parties.
The mediators control the process with the parties, often asking them for feedback, and checking, for example, perceptions of balance. In Interactive Mediation parties have a fair opportunity to say what they need to, and to hear the other/s involved.
Benefits of Interactive Mediation
This model of mediation works well in a setting characterised by diversity as it provides a forum in which power imbalances can be addressed, inappropriate behaviour challenged impartially and in which dialogue can happened in a safe environment. Once mediators are familiar with this model they will also become more effective at other evaluative processes such as evaluative mediation*, arbitration and neutral assessment.
Interactive mediation skills are also invaluable for managers, leaders, investigators, HR and OH staff, equality and diversity professionals. Getting these skills to local level can help organisations manage difficult conversations more effectively, retain staff, reduce stress, reduce the impact of bullying and harassment.
* Evaluative mediation is a form of mediation in which the mediator is very active in analysing issues and proposing solutions. The parties make the final decision but the mediator will help them frame and refine negotiating positions, package offers, and pursue resolutions. Much evaluative mediation takes place with the parties in separate sessions.
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