The role of the mediator is to help parties reach a solution to their problem and to arrive at an outcome that both parties are happy to accept. Mediators avoid taking sides, making judgements or giving guidance. They are simply responsible for developing effective communications and building consensus between the parties. The focus of a mediation meeting is to reach a common sense settlement agreeable to both parties in a case.

For a mediator to be successful he or she must possess a wide range of skills. One of the most important, but perhaps least appreciated, is the ability to actively listen to what a party is saying and to note what the party is not saying. All too often we hear what we expect someone to say rather than what is actually said. It is a fundamental principle that mediators must not prejudge the case nor impose their own prejudices on the parties. Furthermore, a mediator has to be able to tune into “where the speaker is coming from” and read the “sub text” or hidden messages given out by the parties.

Mediation skills – In House Course Agenda II

Mediation Skills and Managing Conflict

As well as running our successful Mediation Skills open-course we have worked with many organisations who wish to give their staff greater skills in managing conflict. We have listed an agenda for the our Mediation Skills in-house course on: https://www.totalsuccess.co.uk/mediation-skills-in-house-agenda/ but we are also able to adapt our training courses to suit the requirements of our clients. Below is an example of one we were asked to design for middel and senior managers in UNICEF.

The focus of the training for UNICEFwas to help their management team manage conflict and to introduce them to the skills and strategies needed for successful internal mediation.

Course Agenda  – Middle Managers

Pre-course preparation

Each delegate will be given a pre-course review that must be completed prior to the course and will bring with them the ‘Conflict assessment’ questionnaire filled out.

Morning 9.30-1.00 / Afternoon 2.00-5.30

Introduction/course aims and objectives

What is conflict?

What are the catalysts for conflict at work? Studies have shown that by recognising and reacting to them proactively 90% of conflict issues can be resolved positively. We’ll show delegates how to assess their team’s potential for conflict and immediate strategies for managing it.

Group work – The manager as a cause of conflict

My conflict resolution profile

Delegates will discover their conflict management profile and how they can use this information to handle conflict  that may arise with the individuals in their teams.

Role-play – Group role-play – managing the unexpected.

SWOT Strategies for delivering bad news

Using this classic assessment tool, delegates will learn how to use it to plan for the ‘psychological processing’ bad news is subject to before it is accepted.

Role-play – ‘Telling the team’

Strategies for motivating the team

How motivated are your team members? We will show delegates the classic signs of team demotivation and the consequences if these are not address immediately. Delegates will also learn the 3 key stages in successful motivation strategy.

Case study – Organisational motivation strategy for managers

Managing the very difficult conversation

Planning for the difficult conversation is an essential management skill. Couple this with planning for the difficult person and managers will quickly realise that they can confidently manage most of the situations they need to handle.

Group work – Planning for the very difficult conversation

An introduction to Mediation

Mediation is the process of facilitating the communication between parties in conflict towards understanding, collaboration and agreement. It requires both skill and courage. We will teach the delegates how to plan for and implement a successful mediation strategy.

Group work – Case study – Managing the Mediation

Course close

Completing the post-course action planCourse Agenda – Senior Managers

Pre-course preparation

Each delegate will be given a pre-course review that must be completed prior to the course. Delegates will be given the Mediation case study for analysis and must complete it for discussion on the day

Morning 9.30-1.00 / Afternoon 2.00-5.30

Introduction/course aims and objectives

Recognising and reducing organisational conflict – conflict has many ways of showing itself ranging from anger/frustration to absenteeism to low morale. Group workshops will attempt to identify when conflict contributes to ‘real’ stress and what specific actions are required

Helping others to manage conflict issues – an essential part of management is to facilitate effective communication on a personal and group level. From group discussion and role-play delegates will learn how to effectively counsel fellow employees to identify stress that arises from conflict and develop agreed solutions.

Case study – The Counselling Interview

Work stress – using The Health and Safety Executive’s organisational stress toolkit delegates will be able to identify the causes of work related stress and develop a plan for managing it effectively.

Group work – Using the HSE toolkit for stress reduction

Mediation skills

The rest of the day concentrates on mediation skills. It is designed to teach delegates the skills necessary to manage effectively difficult situations and to handle the behaviour of challenging colleagues. It will enable delegates to mediate conflict issues in a calm and professional manner. They will learn how to:

  •  Gain a full understanding of mediation and other forms of conflict resolution
  • Use mediation to resolve workplace conflict
  • Prepare effectively for a mediation

Course agenda

Taking a strategic approach to dispute and conflict resolution
Preparing for mediation
Understanding the mediation process
Essential mediation skills you must master
Dealing with deadlock
Closing the mediation and confirming the result

Group work – Planning strategy for departmental mediation

Role-play – Open mediation session with strategy ‘time outs’

All delegates will receive a 50 page workbook that doubles as an excellent post course reference manual.

Proposed methods of training will include:

  • Trainer-led facilitation
  • Role-playing typical situations (using video or audio feedback, if applicable)
  • Group work
  • Workbook exercises and activities
  • Video scenarios with discussion.

All delegates will receive a workbook that doubles as an excellent post course reference manual.

All our in-house training is tailored to your requirements, this is our standard In-House Agenda but bear in mind the course could be tailored to your needs.

Other related courses include assertiveness skills, negotiation skills and communication skills for managers. Click here if you need more information regarding Dealing With Difficult People training courses or contact Total Success who will be delighted to talk to you via e-mail.

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