Many Outdated Mediation Tactics Leave Me Scratching My Head.

One in particular - The cookie-cutter approach.


Mediation is often seen as a technical activity, but there is more to it than that - human performances, communication, and mindset also play a role.


The tendency to adhere to the status quo, a cookie-cutter approach to mediation, is driven by fear and a lack of courage - a brave person must go against the grain.


It's not about throwing everything out and reinventing the wheel; it's about challenging methods and seeing what works and what doesn't, not just going through the motions.


The problem is that many people make decisions based on fear (will they approve of me IF.., what do they expect of me...) and use the cookie-cutter approach to conform to external expectations and opinions in an attempt 'to fit in'.


What's the point of mediation or conflict resolution if your first communication destroys trust and inflames the conflict you are trying to resolve?


Choosing the cookie-cutter approach is an odd decision when it's straightforward to develop resolution practices that focus on the core of the conflict AND the human aspects that improve performance, mindset and communication to reach authentic 'success'.


I have often discussed openly the right way to create a mediation of value (I'll discuss how to develop a mediation of value in next week's newsletter)

When you do, you:

- Build trust and create safety
- Minimise human obstacles and challenges
- Move participants confidently through a positive process towards 'success' (defined by them)
- Won't demonstrate your lack of human skills in your first move! 🤣 🤣