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Mediation training: six years on

It’s now just a month until our next Mediation Skills course. Perhaps it is a suitable moment to reflect on how far we have come since the pandemic. When spring 2020 arrived, we had to pause all training and rethink our delivery. Up until that time we had only ever delivered training in person, in venues across Scotland, from Lerwick to Dumfries. The pandemic made us think afresh and – somewhat reluctantly – move to online training. At the time we chose Zoom as the best platform for training and, I would argue, in 2026 that platform is still the most reliable and efficient.

Preparation, as is the case with any training, was key. We ran test sessions and train the trainer sessions before we could feel confident of offering a simple and stable space for learners to practice new skills and gain fresh learning. I introduced short Zoom introductions for each learner, covering what the training experience would include, how we would keep the technology ‘in the background’ and how we would deal with any technical issues on the day. This introduction offers a reassuring conversation and an opportunity for learners to ask any questions. It is something we do to this day, providing that check-in before day one. In the early days it also acted as a way to check that their Wi-Fi worked and the laptop operated seamlessly, something we almost take for granted in 2026!

Very soon we discovered that learners really liked the training, and particularly the breakout rooms. They love the safety and privacy of the space and that the pace of the course is at their speed of learning. We purposely keep slides to a minimum – I’ve experienced ‘death by PowerPoint’ too often in my career so know the danger.

By 2022, with several online courses under our belt, and with evaluations proving how successful and valued the online training was, we decided to keep this as our main mode of delivery. This does fly against instinct – I have a natural suspicion of technology and always ask myself, “what is the real benefit of using this new app?” when faced with new technology.

So here we are, now over six years since our first online course, about to deliver our next one. With one notable adjustment. For the final two days we will be running the course in 3D, in person at Glasgow. So for those who are interested in learning more about conflict and how to handle it better, or those who are considering becoming a mediator, why not drop me a line?

“The course was excellent as were the facilitators. Highly engaging throughout and a course I would recommend to others. It was the best online course I have ever attended – I think this was due to the mixed bag of break out rooms, written assessment and tutor led work. The course was also progressive and fluid in its delivery.” [learner, March 2026]