Acting as a mediator can be complicated: clients may use difficult tactics, one of the parties may raise personal comments to the other party as well as to the mediator, or the mediator may personally get emotionally involved in the case as it resembles their own personal situation. In these cases, it can be challenging to stay neutral and impartial. In other cases, the mediator may just have the feeling he or she got stuck. They therefore may need some extra input to decide on the best next steps. In order to support mediators, we offer the following services:
The mediator buddy
As a mediator, integrity and impartiality are constantly required to help people communicate and negotiate in their search for a conflict resolution. The mediator’s job is delicate as it involves questioning people’s underlying interests, emotions and identity. To stay balanced, to manage own biases or prejudices and to grow as a professional, mediators need to engage in intrapersonal work. To do so, it is helpful to be able to rely on a buddy who can act as a “mirror”, who can challenge, ask critical questions or might provide different ideas on how to approach a certain issue within the mediation case at hand. The mediator buddy contributes to the necessary checks and balances to guarantee the mediator’s integrity.
Intervisions
Acting as a mediator can be complicated: clients may use difficult tactics, one of the parties may raise personal comments to the other party as well as to the mediator, or the mediator may personally get emotionally involved in the case as it resembles their own personal situation. In these cases, it can be challenging to stay neutral and impartial. In other cases, the mediator may just have the feeling he or she got stuck. They therefore may need some extra input to decide on the best next steps. In order to support mediators, we offer the following services:
The mediator buddy
As a mediator, integrity and impartiality are constantly required to help people communicate and negotiate in their search for a conflict resolution. The mediator’s job is delicate as it involves questioning people’s underlying interests, emotions and identity. To stay balanced, to manage own biases or prejudices and to grow as a professional, mediators need to engage in intrapersonal work. To do so, it is helpful to be able to rely on a buddy who can act as a “mirror”, who can challenge, ask critical questions or might provide different ideas on how to approach a certain issue within the mediation case at hand. The mediator buddy contributes to the necessary checks and balances to guarantee the mediator’s integrity.
Intervisions
On a regular basis, Mediation I Communication I Coaching (MCC) @ Deloitte Legal organises (online) intervisions in which a group of mediators analyse recent cases, as mediated by mediators taking part in the intervision: How would other mediators have approached the case? And why? Often this is also combined with a role play. As such, intervision is a form of knowledge development in a small group of mediators who share common challenges or problems. During intervision, mediators can consult other mediators’ expertise to gain new insights as well as skills.