I attended an all day mediation training yesterday through the Greater Las Vegas Board of Realtors and thought I would share what I felt to be just one of the tidbits of extraodinary information that we learned.
Carolyn D’Agosta, the instructor is a nationally reconized mediator as well as being a Broker/Owner. Her credentials are quite impressive and she facilitated a tough crowd of attorneys, 10+ years experienced mediators, and a few neophytes like myself.
Although I can’t condense 8 hours of information into a blog, I would like to share some of her top 10 techniques for breaking impasse:
1. Break the issue down into smaller parts, isolating the most difficult issues and reserving these for later.
2. Go on to other issues, or take a break and ask the parties to think about the various alternatives presented.
3. Review the parties priotities and common interests.
4. Look for possible trade-offs or exchange of services.
5. Encourage the parties to recognize and acknowledge each other’s points of view.
6. Tell the parties you are stuck and ask for their ideas.
7. Ask the parties to indicate what would change or happen if they reached a solution.
8. Test for emotional investment in a given position or demand by asking what it would take to get the parties to surrender it.
9. Compliment the parties on reaching earlier points of agreement and encourage them to reach a complete agreement and put this dispute behind them.
10. Ask more questions about the problem, feelings, priorities, alternative solutions, flexibility, hidden agendas, compromises, anger, etc., or return to agenda setting.
Good mediation skills can be used in all walks of life, family, personal relationships, workplace, and clients. Just remember to maintain neutrality (okay here’s where the Zen part comes in) and an attitude of non-judgment.
