Q & A Table of Contents
Getting The Parties To Be Honest With A Mediator
From: Laureena, Annerley, Australia
Question: How can a mediator encourage disputing parties to look at their own interests (and the other party's) instead of focussing on their positions. �The old Positional Bargaining v. Principled Negotiation situation!
Response: The mediator's fundamental job is to ask questions of each of the parties. �She should keep looking for the 'why' that underlies the 'what' each party wants.
A skilled mediator will spend time alone with each party, developing an understanding of the assumptions each party has made about his/her interests and positions -- and the interests and positions of other parties, the constituents who are relying on the contending parties, and others who could be characterized as stakeholders in the outcome. �This is explained in greater detail in Chapters 4 & 5 of my book, Negotiating Skills for Managers (McGraw-Hill, 2002).
The result of this preparation will be that the mediator will be able to see connections among the matters concerning the parties -- and will be able to ask more questions yielding more useful answers in the mediation process.
Good luck,
Steve
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