In court cases, settlement agreements reached through mediation signal the end of the litigation.
But in conflict between people who must or want to be in continued relationship – co-workers, business partners, management teams, couples – a mediation and mediated agreements are the beginning…the first step toward a future filled with new possibility.
Here’s how I describe this form of mediation:
- Instead of using mediation to end the relationship or the disagreement, you’ll be using it to figure out how to break the cycle of tension and conflict that’s built up between you.
- Think of an agreement between you as a roadmap for the future of your relationship. This kind of roadmap will describe where you want to go, your intended route, and how you want to get there.
- And as with all roadmaps, there may be unexpected roadwork, detours and maybe even a breakdown or two along the way. A well-crafted agreement will anticipate this and plan for how you’ll navigate those and how you’ll get the support you need at that time.
- And if I’m speaking to a supervisor or CEO about a mediation between two employees, I add this: What you do after the mediation will have a significant impact on the success with which they carry out the mediated agreement. You need to give them the space to get it right. And expect there will be moments they don’t, because they’ve developed a conflict habit that needs the right support to change.
When I mediate conflicts like these in organizations, families and family businesses, I usually recommend including post-mediation coaching and support to help ensure the journey has a real chance of being completed.
