re:connect - konfliktmægling
Conflict mediation
re:connect conflict mediation aims to restore the connection between people when the relationship is challenged by conflict.
When the connection suffers due to disagreement or conflict the road to reconciliation and cooperation can seem unclear.
In a re:connect conflict mediation my function is to act as an impartial mediator and help restore the connection through a structured conflict mediation process.
As mediator my role is to ensure that you get a better understanding of each other’s experiences of the conflict and how the conflict affects each of you.
Conflict mediation is successful when it contributes to better mutual understanding and a solution that all parties agrees with.
Simply put conflict mediation is not about being right. The goal is to gain a better insight into each other’s and own experiences.
Increased insight into what the conflict does to each of you is one of the keys to unlocking a constructive dialogue and the possibility of moving towards a joint solution to the conflict.
What is the process in a conflict mediation?
Prior to the joint mediation, I meet with the parties individually.
The purpose of the individual meetings is twofold:
- It gives the opportunity to reverse the process, one’s own feelings and perspectives in a confidential space.
- The parties are prepared for the joint meeting. This ensures a common understanding of the process and the ground rules of conflict mediation. The result is a more calm and balanced conflict mediation.
The joint mediation takes place on neutral ground and it is my role as mediator to mediate the process.
The need for conflict mediation ends when the parties have reached a joint solution to the conflict.
If there are some of the premises surrounding the solution that one party cannot see themselves in, then the conflict will continue to smolder in the unspoken and flare up again over time. It is therefore only a joint solution in which both parties can see themselves that ends a conflict.
How long does conflict mediation take?
Conflicts come in different sizes and intensities. There is therefore no conclusion as to how long a conflict mediation will take. As described above, mediation only ends when the parties have found a joint solution that they both agree on.
Having said that, I work with a framework which ensures that we have the time necessary to engage in relevant dialogues during the conflict mediation.
I therefore allocate 1.5 hours to each initial meeting. 2-3 hours are set aside for joint mediations.
Some conflicts are resolved after the first joint mediation, other conflicts require several mediations. Again, this depends on the size and intensity of the conflict.
