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selling mediation: a reflection
It’s almost a year since I last wrote about selling mediation and our one-day workshop that we run for experienced mediators in Scotland. We have been delivering this workshop now for several years and have seen how the message of mediation is communicated differently across Scotland and over time.
What has emerged in the past few years is that the process of selling mediation is an increasingly difficult ask. Selling it comes in two forms. Firstly, there is selling the idea of mediation to two neighbours who haven’t seen eye to eye for years. Secondly (and more challenging) is convincing sceptical officials that supporting a properly funded mediation service can save money and help communities grow and develop. Mediators have experience in overcoming barriers when working with clients, through addressing concerns and explaining the mediation process in ways that are both understandable and reassuring. What can be more challenging is convincing officials.
First week
First week
This week sees the start of our latest Mediation Skills training course. We will welcome participants from a variety of backgrounds - from healthcare, third sector and public sector. By the very nature of the job, as soon as one course begins, I start planning and promoting the following course, then the next one after that.
Sometimes though it is helpful to take stock, to refresh and review. We have some opportunities for this during the training year. The first is the final day of our mediation training, when we ask learners to reflect on what they have learnt and how they found the course delivery, warts and all. Hearing those reflections and afterwards reading their evaluations is always a productive and positive experience.
And on the other hand
Earlier this week on social media I came across the fact that this has been named a million acts of hope week. At first glance I thought this was quite a positive and useful thing, to provide a focus on all the good things happening, new initiatives and work that is being done by people and organisations to prevent hate and divisions in society. However a little bit of me also reflected on how sad it was that such a week is needed.
Avoiding being a knight in mediation
A basic principle of mediation is that the mediator does not provide solutions. A mediator is not there to solve clients’ problems, but to help clients solve the problem themselves. For people who are in a conflict, they will often hope or expect a mediator to come along and ‘fix things’ for them. After all, if the mediator has experience of dealing with conflicts, then surely they must have lots of ideas on how to sort a conflict? Getting this message across to clients is a key part of a mediator’s job in explaining their role.
On our accredited Mediation Skills course, we explain that it is important not to offer solutions. We explain this is because the people who best know the problem, and as a result best know which solutions might work, are those who are living and breathing the conflict, not you as the mediator. Despite the temptation to arrive like some knight in shining armour armed with a full set of ‘fixes’, the solution offered may not be the best one. When you add to this the chance of ‘buy-in’ from both parties reduces if the solution is external to themselves, these are two good reasons why mediators will not normally offer solutions. In simple terms, mediators do not offer solutions for two reasons:
- Those who are within the conflict know which solutions are most practical and likely to work
- For those who are in the conflict and experience the mediation process, they invest themselves in it and build a commitment to making the solution work, long after the meeting is over.
Spring 2026 Newsletter now out
We’re delighted to launch our latest newsletter. In our Spring edition we reflect on some recent blogs and highlight both the mediation service in Glasgow and future training offers coming up in the next couple of months.
To learn more, read it here:
https://mailchi.mp/caacb20ed6bf/mediation-news-from-scmc-3661?e=ed7267f1ea
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