Mediators can help disputants to resolve their disagreements and improve their inter-personal relationships. Receiving mediation training can be valuable for personnel who work in management; human resources; government; consulting; law and other business areas who have a desire to improve their conflict resolution skills.

If you are looking to develop mediation skills, a good place to start is a course that will provide training in the process of mediation and will allow for practical implementation through mediation simulations. The course should also provide you with an understanding of how to deal with ethical issues that may confront the mediator. A recipient of mediation training should develop a basic understanding of how to:

• Increase capacity to actively listen, empathize, understand divergent interests, spot issues, develop options, and build agreements;
• Recognize the ethical and legal requirements of mediation practice;
• Promote positive relationships, while allowing values to remain intact;
• Improve negotiation and problem solving skills;
• Be conscious of strengths and weaknesses as a mediator so that you can strive for self-improvement;
• Appreciate the different styles of negotiation and mediation;
• Approach negotiators who behave in a difficult manner and use hard tactics;
• Manage multi-party negotiations;
• Work through difficult conversations;
• Identify what the barriers are to an effective negotiation;
• Adapt to the prevailing behaviours that are being demonstrated;
• Move forward from an impasse that may arise during a negotiation; and
• Control and manage your emotions, and the emotions of others, in order to promote mutual understanding.

Regardless of the type of dispute you seek to resolve, it can be beneficial to assess the effectiveness of your past conflict resolution training and the methods you have previously used. The Stitt Feld Handy Group offers training in mediation, negotiation, arbitration, communication skills, and alternative dispute resolution for individuals and businesses of all sizes that uses the latest adult education techniques. Contact us today to learn more about how to get started.

To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.

To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.

To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.