The art of being a mediator was brought home to me recently when I coached a class of mediator trainees through the process of going from dispute to resolution. As a mediator you have to be able to see both sides of the issue, visualize where a solution to the issue might be found and guide the parties towards that goal. In the end they will believe that they have come up with the solution and are usually eager to settle the dispute.
It's fun work most of the time...but it does require that you present yourself as a neutral and be willing to listen to both sides with out taking sides.
But, back to my trainees. Many of them were practicing attorneys and their hardest job is to forget that as an attorney they are advocates and are trained to view events in as negative a light as possible. They are also unfamiliar with dealing with two (or more parties) representing differing viewpoints, with them in the middle. Almost every one of them found that it was hard work to accomplish the goal of resolving a dispute without taking sides, and I noticed the younger attorneys were able to make the transition easier than the attorneys with long time experience as a advocate, but they were willing to try!.
Too bad we couldn't require any one running for public office to be trained as a mediator before they can assume office. It might make for a better political process and it would certainly provide for a happier electorate.
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