The true task of mediation professionals

On many occasions and in various forums the question arises as to What is the mediator's task? reach agreement between the parties? Some professionals defend the theory that the agreement is a consequence of the work in mediation, not an objective.

This vision makes us have to define the tasks of the mediator because we may find ourselves in the middle of a mediation without knowing what to dedicate our effort, our time to.

Define professional strategy

For this reason, I like to propose this differentiation of “workload” for the mediator every time he/she faces a case because, by being clear about his/her task, he/she will be able to define your professional strategy, make a forecast of the case, choose the appropriate tools or even change the work model if necessary.

Having said that, we are going to propose an approach to the general tasks of the mediator in any case:

• Dynamize each meeting, that is, it is the responsibility of the mediator that there is communication at the work table, that positions are built, that interests are defined or that the conflict resolution options are assessed, for example. This is what the mediator trains for, not to draft agreements, and it is in each meeting with his or her clients that he or she has to apply work tools or techniques that allow the work sessions to develop. In any case, the mediator can never expect the meetings to have a rhythm because the parties provoke it, it is their main task.

• Advance in each meeting and that each effort of the parties has its positive reading of the mediator because we cannot forget that the parties are immersed in a problem and do not see beyond it. It is the task of mediation professionals to make these advances visible and for the parties to the conflict to feel that progress as the result of their effort and dedication.

• Promote that the parties participate, their voices are heard and they endorse the working model. It is the responsibility of the mediator to provoke that active participation of the parties in everything that happens in each meeting and thereby attend to the next of the mediator's tasks in each case.

• Disappear For me, it is a fundamental objective of the work of mediators in conflict management and I do not believe that the mediator should be “idiotized” but rather have enough patience to let the parties surprise him/her and go participating less and less of the construction of the meetings.

Let us be cautious at work in each mediation meeting, in each session where everything that happens will be the result of the preparation of the mediator's work (sessions prepared in advance, evaluations after each meeting and selection of techniques) and nothing will be the result of chance, but of causality.

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