What is Coaching for Mediator Practice?

Coaching for Mediator Practice is specifically tailored to contribute to your professional growth as you redefine and refine your role from entry level to proficient mediator. Following an initial discussion, you and I develop the objectives of your coaching program. In general terms, Coaching for Mediator Practice

• addresses the questions and issues raised by each participant
• extends theory and practice
• focuses on the role of the mediator
• analyses disputes from a mediation perspective

Coaching for Mediator Practice provides regular, focused, personalised coaching conducted in very small groups. Individual coaching is available as an alternative or to supplement group coaching.

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How long does it take?

Mostly, one set of Coaching for Mediator Practice takes 4 to 6 weeks. You can join a very small group or you can choose individual coaching. The very small groups meet for four sessions of Coaching for Mediator Practice.

Individual sessions are arranged to suit your schedule over a time period that is convenient for you.

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Where & when is it held?

Coaching for Mediator Practice sessions are held at my Wembley mediation rooms in a relaxed setting in the joint session room with the breakout rooms used as required. The address is 32 Daglish St, Wembley. You can view a short video of the rooms here.

Coaching sessions can also be conducted by Skype.

Sessions are conducted at a time to suit you. Usually this is late afternoon or early evening. Business hours and weekend sessions can be arranged.

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What happens? Summary

There are three stages in the Coaching for Mediator Practice program 

Stage 1 In a very small group or individual setting, I confirm that I can provide coaching that is suitable for you.
Stage 2 Following discussion, I customise the coaching, including content and process for the requirements of the very small group. Stages 1 and 2 form the first part of the first session.
Stage 3 I provide the remainder of the first session and the subsequent sessions which involve practical, interactive exercises as well as short presentations and lively discussions.

Coaching for Mediator Practice is a blend of consolidating the essence of mediation and exploring complexities and refinements that contribute to mediation being a personalised approach to decision making and conflict resolution. The mediation model, analysis of disputes and the role and functions of the mediator form the framework of the program.

As far as is possible, your coaching sessions demonstrate mediation interventions so that you can observe and discuss a variety of mediation competencies, skills and other interventions being demonstrated and distinguish coaching pedagogy from mediation.

Over the period of your coaching you can expect to gradually come to think of yourself as a proficient mediator. That is, over the 4 to 6 week period you can expect to see a shift from the possibly mechanistic use of mediator interventions to more tailored selection of interventions which are correspondingly more influential.

You can find out more about what happens in What happens? Description below and more about the topics covered further below

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What happens? Description

You contact me by email or phone. I answer your questions concisely. If after an initial discussion, you would like to commence Coaching for Mediator Practice, I make a booking for the next convenient very small group or for individual coaching.

Stage 1: Discussion of Coaching for Mediator Practice

Whether very small group or one-to-one, I begin the first session by confirming the suitability of Mediator Coaching. Your first decision is whether to proceed. If you decide that you would rather not proceed there is no cost.

Stage 2: Designing the Coaching program

Whether you have chosen very small group or individual coaching, the program is designed to meet the needs of participants on the basis that your primary objective is to redefine and refine your mediation practice from the perspective of the role of the mediator.

Elements that contribute to the design of your program include

• your questions and conundrums
• defining and refining the role of the mediator
• integrating yourself into the role
• rationale of the structure of mediation
• analysis of disputes
• analysis of conflict

Usually these elements provide sufficient direction for your program to be planned. As you progress, you, the other participants and I refine the program.

Rationale of mediation model(s)

The mediation model is sophisticated simplicity. Exploring its sophistication creates opportunities for identifying and developing specifically focused competencies. During Coaching for Mediator Practice you can develop proficiency and internal consistency within and between each stage of the mediation model. One outcome is that you identify defeated indicators for moving from one stage to the next.

Proficient mediation practice

The list of Mediator competencies by which your accreditation role play was assessed is a sample of mediator competencies. There are more! And competencies are only one facet among many facets of the role of the mediator. A mediator’s role is a leadership and decision making role which relies on a synthesis of knowledge, competencies and values applied to a kaleidoscope of sources of information. Each intervention is the outcome of a decision tailored to the circumstances of the moment in the context of the whole mediation.

During your Coaching for Mediator Practice I assist you to link your competencies to the knowledge,  concepts and values of facilitative mediation. I explain the detail of how I analyse disputes for mediation. From the analysis you can formulate consciously chosen interventions. One example among many is that an analysis of  participants’ conflict can contribute to agenda formation.

Skills e​xperimentation

There is usually a gap between a good idea and its execution. Brief role-plays can craft a good idea into a useful skill.

Coaching for Mediator Practice provides  you the rare opportunity to practise skills and receive immediate and succinct feedback. The feedback has a dual benefit. It ensures that your new skills progress toward competence as well as modelling the provision of feedback to participants during a mediation.

Process

The process(es) of Coaching for Mediator Practice is decided following an initial discussion and reviewed in short ongoing discussions. For example, the group may prefer to experiment with different ways of forming an agenda, then ask for feedback for you may  prefer me to explain  one way that I form agendas, then to try it, then to debrief it. My aims are first to pass on what you want to know of I have learnt from my mediation experience in a way and at a time that works best for you; second to facilitate participants in the group passing on what each has learnt and what each would like to learn. I facilitate inductive and deductive approaches to the issues presented. Brief practical exercises are interspersed throughout. Longer practical exercises can be arranged by agreement with the group.

Stage 3 : Coaching themes

Whatever the topic, whatever the angle you will find that in the discussion and the practical work I will continually refer to

• the role of the mediator
  • leadership
  • multifaceted
  • self care
• disputes
  • analysis
  • causes

A mediator’s role is a decision making role which relies on a sophisticated synthesis of knowledge, competencies and values. Each intervention is the outcome of a decision tailored to the circumstances of the moment in the context of the whole mediation.

Contact me by email or phone. I answer your questions concisely. If you decide to commence Coaching for Mediator Practice, I will book you into the next group program or, if you prefer one- to-one, I will book your first session.

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Which topics are likely to be included?

Coaching for Mediator Practice includes the topics agreed by. It can include both the process of mediation and the process regarding content specific to mediation. Early in training it is often said that the mediator manages the process and the participants manage the content. In practice it is more complex due to the interdependence of process and content.

Topics that arise are many and may include

• What are the elements of the role of the mediator?
• What are the functions of the mediator?
• How can a mediator prepare for mediation?
• How can mediators remain resilient?
• How does the practise of competencies vary according to setting?
• How can research be brought into the mediation?
• How can mediators fulfil their obligations, for example regarding safety of participants, and remain even-handed?
• How does the process for commercial mediation vary from the process for neighbourhood mediation?
• How does a mediator terminate a mediation even-handedly?
• What is the role of lawyers/accountants/psychologists in mediation?

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What does it cost?

The cost of Coaching for Mediator Practice group sessions is $1000 ex GST per person for up to 4 people. There are four sessions each of 2.5 hours mostly held over 4 to 6 weeks.

If you prefer individual coaching, please contact me to discuss my fee.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

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Is it confidential?

Coaching for Mediation Practice is as confidential as you and others in the very small group decide. There are a number of aspects to confidentiality. I will keep your attendance and your comments at Coaching for Mediation Practice confidential. Confidentiality will be clarified further at your first and if necessary, subsequent sessions.

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Is there a prerequisite?

The usual prerequisite for Coaching for Mediator Practice is NMAS accreditation, accreditation and registration as an FDR Practitioner or progress toward either.

In addition, for very small groups, I consider the extent to which Coaching for Mediation Practice works well when each participant has a similar amount of experience. In practice this is sometimes indicated by a similar amount of time having elapsed since becoming accredited. Other times it is indicated by participants coming from a similar work environment. The more similar the group can predict the more streamlined your experience of coaching. The benefits, however, of a diverse group can be enrichment beyond the overt coaching. I discuss these aspects with you in your initial call.

For individual Coaching for Mediator Practice there is no prerequisite.

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Where can I go for more information?

You can find more information on the website of the Mediator Standards Board.

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Artwork by Felicita Sala