Mediation mindsets and skills – an introduction

A one-day workshop

This is an interactive and dynamic workshop designed to help participants increase their understanding of conflict and of the use of mediation mindsets and skills to manage it. Mediation facilitates people in conflict finding their own way forward. By using mediation mindsets and skills, participants will be able to understand the sources of conflict and how to manage it and will become more effective in dealing with it in their organisations.

Learning objectives

At the end of the session participants will:

  • Understand themselves better when they are in conflict
  • Be aware of how people in conflict behave, feel and think
  • Understand, and be able to apply, mediation mindsets and skills to managing conflict
  • Be able to deal with conflict more effectively, becoming more confident and assertive

Audience

This programme is potentially relevant to anyone, at any level, in any type of organisation – large or small; public, voluntary or private sector.

Format

This one-day programme is highly participative and uses facilitator’s input, individual and group exercises, and practical demonstrations to find best practice. Group discussions and feedback are used to develop learning points and to enable participants to relate examples to their own situations.

Participants will be sent a welcome pack in advance of the session which will include some pre-course work, including a questionnaire asking them to reflect upon their own experiences and challenges in this area.

Special feature

Specific topics covered in this programme can be delivered on their own in other formats, eg, as a ½ day session, or as a 1- or 2-hour bite-sized session, eg, the Thomas Kilmann Instrument and the PIN model or I statements.

Expert trainer

Macarena is a highly experienced specialist in mediation and conflict resolution. She works in these areas as a mediator, conflict coach, trainer and assessor, both in the UK and internationally. She has been an accredited mediator since 2005 and is experienced in mediation across all the main practice sectors – workplace mediation, family mediation, community mediation and intergenerational mediation.

Workshop outline

1 Introduction

  • Workshop objectives
  • Participants’ experience and confidence in this area
  • Personal objectives

2 Overview of conflict

  • Conflict in organisations and teams
  • The conflict escalation spiral
  • Constructive or destructive conflict?

3 Causes of conflict

  • Neurobiology and conflict: reaction and response
  • Observations and interpretations
  • Mayer’s Wheel of Conflict
  • The PIN model: Positions-Interests-Needs

4 Key mindsets in mediation

  • Impartiality and neutrality
  • Creating space
  • Creating safety

5 Key skills

  • Listening for facts, feelings, needs and assumptions
  • Reflecting and summarising
  • Powerful questioning
  • Empathy

6 Assertive communication and non-violent communication

  • NVC model
  • I statements

7 Application and review of the day

  • So, what do you need to deal with conflict successfully?
  • Diffusing a reaction
  • Action planning
  • Review and close

To discuss which skills workshops would best suit you, just give us a call on 01582 463460 and we’ll be happy to talk you through the options.