Relationships Quick Answers
What is Mediation?
Mediation involves the intervention of a third party
into a negotiation process. The mediator is neutral and
does not have decision-making authority regarding the
possible settlement of the dispute. The goal of
mediation is to assist the parties involved in a
conflict to reach a resolution that ideally meets the
interests of both parties to the greatest extent
possible. The mediator helps to manage the negotiation
process by:
- Identifying, clarifying, and exploring the issues and each party's underlying interests around those issues.
- Managing the expression of strong emotions in a way that is productive and not destructive.
- Equalizing, to the greatest extent possible, any power imbalances between the parties.
- Identifying joint interests and agreements in principle.
- Assisting the parties in exploring and evaluating possible settlement options.
- Helping to "reality-test" possible settlement options against procedural, psychological, and substantive interests, as well as against alternatives to a mediated settlement.
- Developing and implementing a final agreement.
See
Learning Opportunities about Relationships to locate
a mediator in Boone County.
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Missouri
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Last update: Thursday, August 21, 2008
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