If you have been mediating for a while, you know that there is more than just one mediation method: e.g. facilitative mediation, transformative mediation, or narrative mediation.
Some time ago, Gerald Monk, Cheryl Picard and Michael Lang developed an excellent chart that compares those three different methods according to four main criteria:
- Definition of Mediation
- Values and Underlying Beliefs
- Overall Goal
- Key Strategies
The question is: Which method seems to work better – not in theory, but in reality: i.e. according to the parties?
Virtual Mediation Lab can now helps us to answer that question, as follows.
- We will ask 3 different mediators (each experienced in a different method) to suggest a case that typically needs mediation: e.g. a supervisor vs employee, or neighbor vs neighbor case, and so on.
- Each case will then be mediated by those three mediators according to three different methods.
- We will video record each mediation.
- And at the end of those nine mediations, we will compare the parties’ feedback and comments about each mediation method.
If you are interested to participate in this test, please let me know.
