I combine my own experiences in middle class family businesses in Germany and abroad with a deep understanding of complex operational relationships, the inter-cultural competence of a cultural anthropologist and the conflict solving techniques of mediation to assist you in a constructive and amicable solving of your conflicts. Only with a true understanding for the different positions a conflict can be solved. The solution of existing conflicts is a prerequisite for constructive relationships and effective work.
What is mediation?
A definition of ‘mediation’: Mediation is a structured procedure in which the people involved in a conflict solve their conflicts in conjunction and with personal responsibility with the support of an independent third party.
The independent third party is defined as mediator. The conflict parties in a mediation procedure are defined as mediands.
Mediation is based on five principles:
- Neutrality:
The mediator is committed to stay neutral during the whole mediation procedure. He never chooses a side in the conflict and does not present any solutions, as these have to be worked out by the mediands themselves. But he leads the mediation procedure and regulates breaches of the rules.
- Voluntariness:
Each participant in the mediation procedure takes part on a voluntary basis. Everyone is free to quit the procedure at any given moment.
- Self-responsibility:
All mediands are themselves responsible for figuring out and establishing solutions of their conflicts. Their own behaviour has a decisive impact on failure or success of the mediation.
- Being informed:
All participants of a mediation procedure commit themselves to share all relevant information for the mediation procedure to ensure that everybody is on the same level of information.
- Confidentiality:
All participants commit themselves to treat all information gathered during the mediation procedure confidential and not to share it with uninvolved people.
A mediation procedure covers five phases:
- Contract clarification:
The mediator and the mediands meet for the first time and get to know each other. The mediator describes the mediation procedure and the rules to follow during the procedure. There will be an agreement on payment of the mediation process and a mediation contract is conducted that will be signed by all participants if they are willing to start a mediation procedure under the given conditions.
- Collection of topics:
After the contract clarification is over, the topics that shall be discussed are collected and agreed upon. Therefore, every mediand will be asked for his or her personal opinion. Every mediand will receive the same share of time to express his or her opinion. Only one person is allowed to speak at a certain time. The collection of topics is finished when all participants agree that all relevant topics have been identified.
- Identification of interests:
The various positions of the participants concerning the identified topics will be figured out. Their motivation is discussed. Common grounds are established.
- Options:
Ideas for possible solutions are collected and tested concerning their practicability for the solving of the conflict. At the end of this phase a list of solutions is collected on which all participants agree.
- Solving of the conflict / final agreement:
The mediands have thought about the practical implementation of the solutions conducted in the phase before. Now the detailed means to transfer the solutions into action are discussed. If all agree what to do a final agreement is established.
Sometimes mediands wish for another appointment after the final agreement, in unforeseen difficulties occur during the implementation of the solutions. Indeed, I am at your disposal should this wish occur.