Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Mediator Tips
The Role of a Facilitator

A mediator can be considered a facilitator in a mediation, but the skills used in a mediation can be used to facilitate larger meetings like neighborhood open forums and collaborative geto-togethers. However, the role of the facilitator is somewhat different from a mediator in several respects, largely because the focus of the meeting is often different from a mediation. While a mediation tries to reach an agreement between parties in a disagreement, facilitation tries to open a dialogue between a group without necessarily pushing for a resolution. What is similar is having a discussion where issues are raised and ideas are brainstormed. A faciliator helps this dialogue in the following ways:
  • Bring focus to the group
  • Effect change and improvement through team empowerment
  • Encourage team decision making
  • Encourage team problem solving
  • Work for consensus
  • Group dynamics
  • Active listening
  • Clarifying, sharing, disseminating ifo
  • Organize, handle details, closure

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Retaining our place at the "mediation table"

A recent article in ACResolution Magazine titled "Ensuring a Place at the Table" mentions CMCs are at risk of losing their place at the mediation table because of their overall lack of continuous improvement. The article goes on to mention that CMCs are the most accurate representation of the mediation profession -- most of the remaining practitioners that offer mediation offer settlement conferences instead of true mediation. The article concludes that this leaves CMCs as the trendsetters and primary indicators of the current health and future sustainability of the mediation field. As a CMC, we have to strive to set the bar of mediation practitioners hign and embrace our trendsetting role by continuing to improve our methods, practices, and standards of mediation. If we can continue to do this successfully, we an be sure that in ten years, we will still have an important place at the mediation table.

Kim Hopwood
Training Director

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Conflict Resolution Tips
14 Ways of Eliminating Tension in the Home

Conflict Resolution skills are useful tools outside of a mediation setting. It is important that we take these skills out into the world if we are going to effect change on a societal level. Here are a couple tips you can use in your home to reduce conflict before it becomes critical.
  1. Admit your family is less than perfect. It is unrealistic to expect a family life of complete peace and harmony.
  2. Family money problems can be resolved through discussions and compromises between spouses as well as other members of the family unit.
  3. The temptation to acquire material things can be minimized if you build warm and loving relationships within your family.
  4. Parents cannot always subordinate their own needs to their children's needs.
  5. Believe in yourself. The more confident you are, the more effectively you will be able to deal with stress and change in family life.
  6. Develop a dialogue with your family - don't debate with them.
  7. Live from the present to the past. Don't let past experiences inhibit your enjoyment of the future.
  8. Have consistent guidelines for family operations. A family will effectively operate if it has specifically designated goals and encouragement systems.
  9. Hold family meetings. Have a dialogue about whatever problems are facing your family before they build up emotions to an explosive peak.
  10. Stop comparing yourself and your family members with others.
  11. List the things that you are proud of. Make note of the things that distinguish you from others.
  12. Learn to express anger constructively. Be careful not to hurt someone or leave and individual feeling angry or resentful.
  13. Learn to deal with anger. Listen to others with valid complaints, then try to arrive at a realistic compromise.
  14. Keep a list of issues you argue over and arrange the argument generating issues in order of frequency and delicacy.

This list is adapted from the Parent-Teen Mediation Manual put together by the Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Give the process a chance!

I recently led 32 youth in a 2-day, 16 hours, peer mediation training. When we first settled down in the classroom on the first night, I right away noticed two kids in the very back - one with his back to me and the other with his head down on the table. The staff in charge of the kids was very helpful and wanted right away to remove the kids so they wouldn't disrupt the training. They took the kids aside and talked about sending them home. The kids asked to stay...NOW WHAT?

Now, I thought, the real process of change begins! They had made a choice to stay, and that choice had to be recognized! I approached them during our first break, validated their choice to stay, and asked them what their goals were for staying. We talked about their fear to go home and get in trouble for being kicked out. They also wanted to get a certificate of completion. We talked about what it would take for them to accomplish their goal. They brainstormed different ways to behave during the training...does this process sound familiar? Identifying interests, setting goals, brainstorming solutions...

At the end of the training, they were truly the best peer mediators in the class! Trainers should remember that students don't always come to class ready to learn...we often need to help them identify their own interest in the process, before we lose them and their talent!

Andrea Palmisano
Youth Programs Director