The Mediator S Toolkit

“Dives deep into the psychology of information and emotion in conflict situations . . . Highly recommended for facilitators and negotiators as well as mediators.” —Jennifer Beer, author of The Mediator’s Handbook and negotiation instructor at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Knowing how to formulate and ask incisive questions to get to the core of a conflict, challenge entrenched thinking, and shift perspectives is the key to successful conflict resolution. The Mediator’s Toolkit employs the author’s powerful “S Questions Model” to provide readers with the skills and tools to do just that. It addresses four dimensions of successful questions for mediation: the subject matter dimension, the structure dimension, the information-seeking dimension, and the shifting thinking dimension. The toolkit clearly explains: The theory behind each question type, including exploration of relevant neuroscience and psychology The purpose of different types of questions How the questions work When to use different types of questions How to build and apply questions to mediation in a non-threatening way This essential practical guide will radically sharpen, focus, and improve the questioning skills of qualified mediators, students, lecturers, trainers, and those using questions to challenge and effect change, in any context.

The goal of this handbook is to enhance the practice of mediation by showing how lessons from individual mediators can be identified and made available both to their home organization (e.g., a foreign ministry, intergovernmental organization, or nongovernmental organization) and to a wider practitioner audience. More particularly, the handbook gives guidance to staff debriefing mediators who are or have been directly involved in peace negotiations. The focus here is not on self-assessments by the mediators themselves, nor on evaluations of the mediator's performance by external donors, nor on political or psychological debriefing. Instead, this handbook examines methodological debriefing: that is, interviews conducted with the goal of learning lessons about the mediation method from the experience of a specific mediator that are useful for future mediation processes. Methodological debriefing is typically conducted by individuals who have not been directly involved in the mediator's work and who do not seek to judge it but who want to learn the mediator's perspective on what was done and why it was done. Ideally, the mediator will also benefit from the interview by discovering something new through the questions posed, by having the opportunity to recount a challenging experience, or at least by having her or his experiences documented in a structured and objective manner.

The classic resource for effective mediation - now fully updated and expanded The popular Mediator's Handbook presents a time-tested, adaptable model for helping people work through conflict. Starting with a new chapter on assessing conflict and bringing people to the table, it explains the process step-by-step, from opening conversations and exploring the situation, through the phases of finding resolution-deciding on topics, reviewing options, and testing agreements. The "Toolbox" section then details the concepts and skills a mediator needs in order to: Understand the Conflict Support the people Facilitate the process Guide decision-making. The Mediator's Handbook 's emphasis is on what the mediator can do or say NOW, and on the underlying principles and core methods that can help the mediator make wise choices. Long a popular course textbook for high schools, universities, and training programs, The Mediator's Handbook is also a valued desk reference for professional mediators, and a practical guide for managers, organizers, teachers, and anyone working with clients, customers, volunteers, committees or teams. Extensively revised to incorporate recent practice and thinking, the accessible manual format lays out a clear structure for new and occasional mediators, while offering a detailed, nuanced resource for professionals.

In real-life conflict resolution situations, one size does not fit all. Just as a mechanic does not fix every car with the same tool, the conflict resolution practitioner cannot hope to resolve every dispute using the same technique. Practitioners need to be comfortable with a wide variety of tools to diagnose different problems, in vastly different circumstances, with different people, and resolve these conflicts effectively. The Conflict Resolution Toolbox gives you all the tools you need: eight different models for dealing with the many conflict situations you encounter in your practice. This book bridges the gap between theory and practice and goes beyond just one single model to present a complete toolbox - a range of models that can be used to analyze, diagnose, and resolve conflict in any situation. It shows mediators, negotiators, managers, and anyone needing to resolve conflict how to simply and effectively understand and assess the situations of conflict they face. And it goes a step further, offering specific, practical guidance on how to intervene to resolve the conflict successfully. Each model provides a different and potentially useful angle on the problem, and includes worksheets and a step-by-step process to guide the reader in applying the tools. Offers eight models to help you understand the root causes of any conflict. Explains each model's focus, what kind of situations it can be useful in and, most importantly, what interventions are likely to help. Provides you with clear direction on what specific actions to choose to resolve a particular type of conflict effectively. Features a detailed case study throughout the book, to which each model is applied. Additional examples and case studies unique to each chapter give the reader a further chance to see the models in action. Includes practical tools and worksheets that you can use in working with these models in your practice. The Conflict Resolution Toolbox equips any practitioner to resolve a wide range of conflicts. Mediators, negotiators, lawyers, managers and supervisors, insurance adjusters, social workers, human resource and labour relations specialists, and others will have all the tools they need for successful conflict resolution.

Dealing with Disputes and Conflict: A Self-Help Tool-Kit for Resolving Arguments in Everyday Life offers accessible and practical strategies and solutions to guide untrained mediators and readers on effective ways to resolve disputes and conflict, across a wide range of dispute contexts. Drawing together psychological and social scientific theories, the author offers clear guidance for managing conflict in everyday life, ranging from experiences at work, with the community or at home. This book defines mediation practice, its key principles, and how it is structured and implemented, and offers practical strategies based on key theories, including Transactional Analysis. Tony Whatling draws on his extensive experience as a professional mediator, consultant, trainer and author, to create this valuable practical guide. Including a toolbox outlining core skills and strategies applied by trained practitioners, the book covers important elements in conflict resolution, such as apology, reconciliation, the importance of listening and concentration, and what to try when disputants do not respond. Case studies from various contexts are featured, giving readers the tools they need when faced with disputes relating to situations such as divorce and workplace disagreements. Exploring the building blocks of dispute management through an engaging and clear tone, this text is ideal for mediators, dispute resolution specialists, volunteers, community leaders, medical staff and anyone embarking on a career in mediation, as well as individuals hoping to resolve conflict in their own lives.

“If every HR professional were to read this book and apply what they learnt I’d be out of a job – and I’d be happy. Why? Because workplace conflict would no longer be damaging businesses or harming people.” This was the motivation for Marc, a professional mediator, in writing this book – to create a practical conflict resolution toolkit for HR. DIY Mediation gives you the necessary skills and framework to use a mediation style approach to nip low level workplace conflict in the bud. This book covers: The Issue. The critical knowledge needed to understand conflict - what it is, why it matters and how to recognise it. The Skills. The four key skills to apply when using DIY Mediation supported by straightforward, practical tools. The Process. The AGREE framework, a simplified step by step mediation model you can follow to intervene quickly and effectively. Marc’s 25 years corporate management and HR experience and successful mediation track record combine in this book to create essential know-how for every HR professional. In top HR Director Martha Desmond’s words this book is a “valuable resource which I will keep in my office library to be consulted on a frequent basis”.

What can a mediator do when negotiations stall? How can a mediator help participants reach the finish line? How should a mediator best respond when the parties confess that they are too far apart to settle? Is there anything a mediator can do to help the high-conflict litigant achieve resolution of his emotional case?