Category: Conflict Resolution
Getting to the Other Side
I wish conflict resolution was a mandatory class offered in high school. I would have sat in the front of the class working diligently to get an A. Instead, I wondered into the world with a limited knowledge of how to deal with the challenges that arise during conflict. My strategy was to ignore it or confront it as a victim with anger and hostility. This was usually followed by the desire to totally disconnect (mostly indefinitely) with the person or situation that I deemed responsible.
Since life can sometimes be an ugly teacher, I was continually presented with scenarios designed to help me graduate past my outdated conflict resolution skills. Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying attention and continued to play out the same scenarios.
I found myself throwing away relationships and opportunities that I spent years building over frivolous conflicts that I did not know how to work through. Also since…
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Teaching Children the Art of Negotiation and Ending Squabbles
Siblings squabble. My darling grand babies are no different. They are learning to interact with the world by interacting with each other. Both of these two possess precious hearts but sometimes they disagree. Don’t we all? Learning to share, finding peaceable solutions to conflict and dealing with irritations can be difficult. Even as adults we know how hard working together rather than against each other can be.
They love to come to my house and enjoy a bit of spoiling. They love to explore all the places I will be “grandmommie” and bend the day to day rules of home. We stay up late. We eat lots of sugar. We choose what we want for dinner minus any of the yucky stuff we don’t want to eat. It’s a short amount of time and well, it’s nothing but time for guilty pleasure.
They love to play on my iPad and…
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What is Mediation?
According to statistics, 80% of cases that come through Mediation are resolved.
What is Mediation and how does it work?
Mediation is a voluntary process by which two people come together to try to work out their differences with a neutral third person. Differences could mean, conflict, disagreement or dispute. The neutral person is known as the Mediator.
Mediation is very effective in resolving disputes for a number of reasons.
It affords people an alternative to litigation for the following reasons;
1. It saves time and money
Many litigants are unable to afford the costs associated with Attorney fees. Mediation is a good means or process to spend less money and still have your case heard. Litigation also can take weeks, months and even years to finish whereas in Mediation, you spend less amount of time because you, not the Mediator, are in control of the Mediation process.
2. Happy people
Parties in Mediation are happier and more satisfied with their decision or settlement because they had an input in the decision making. With Litigation or Arbitration, parties are bound by the Judge’s decision or Arbitrators decision.
3. Preserves relationships
When parties are in a conflict, it can sometimes lead to a misunderstanding and going of separate ways. Mediation helps to bring out the underlying issues in a conflict or dispute, thereby bringing an understanding between or among disputing parties. This understanding creates a continuing relationship among parties which also allows for teamwork.
4. Privacy
Matters taken to and settled in court become public record however matters taken to and settled in Mediation are kept private. Only the Mediated Settlement Agreement is made public. Documents produced during Mediation are returned to parties.
5. Flexibility
Mediation affords disputing parties flexibility in choosing their Mediator, location, date and time to Mediate. Parties can reach a temporary agreement then come back after a couple weeks or months to finalize the agreement. The schedule of matters taken to court however are decided by the court.
6. Greater degree of control
Parties who negotiate their own settlements have more control over the outcome. This produces a mutual satisfaction with the agreement reached.
7. Higher rate of compliance
Parties who negotiate their own agreements are more likely to follow through and comply with the terms of their agreement. This is more likely than if their agreement was imposed by a third party.
8. Agreements that last over time
Mediated Settlements tend to hold up over time. If a conflict arises later, parties are more likely to utilize a cooperative form of problem solving to resolve their differences instead of pursuing an adversarial approach.
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