Why Mediation?

Phone:   510.415.0860

E-mail:

1stResortMediation@comcast.net

To contact us:

Conducting Conflict Constructively

1^st Resort Mediation

How can mediation help you do business better?

Conventional wisdom would have us believe that by definition conflict is unpleasant and should be avoided.  And true to that expectation, badly handled conflict left to its own evolution can take on a crazed life of its own. 

 

Communication breaks down.  People avoid each other and the problem.  Depending on whom you ask, the responsibility for starting and maintaining the conflict is attributable to any number of people or circumstances.  The longer it is allowed to continue, the more entrenched the conflict becomes, the more ‘wrong’ the other party is.  An adversary is born.

 

The door is always open to the possibility of ramping up and escalating the discord.  People witnessing the conflict are drawn in whether they want to be or not.  As an unintentional participant, that person is put in the position of defining the solution which may or may not take care of the problem, once and for all.

When we see our goals as being thwarted by the actions of someone else, we define that as a conflict.  Yet, we are in constant relationship with other people and can’t guarantee that they have the same agendas, perspectives, communication styles, or backgrounds that we do.  Therefore, the ability to make negotiation an on-going part of a business or private relationship is crucial. 

 

When people interact in a counterproductive way, a mediator’s role is to put a process in place that fosters effective negotiation.  Working with a mediator, she will help each party to:

 

Ø Clarify their own agendas

Ø Turn a spotlight on the relevant dimensions of the shared problem

Ø Generate their own unique solutions

 

When fully engaged, this process has the potential to:

 

Ø Strengthen relationships

Ø Discover unrecognized sources of persistent problems,
most likely unrelated to personalities involved

Ø Cultivate the ability to solve new problems as they arise

 

Most of all, because the solution is crafted by the parties who have to abide by it, the resolution is likely to be long lasting.

Put yourself in the driver’s seat.  Let go of the blame game. 

 

.