Why do a Workplace Mediation Conversion Course?

This week, a group of us attended Workplace Mediation Conversion Course offered by Essential Mediation Solutions. We all have different professional backgrounds whether be a legal career or newly retired participants who have so much knowledge and experience in wide range of areas, all keen to use it to make a positive difference by becoming mediators. Every workplace environment may bring disputes between colleagues or between a staff and a manager from time to time. So regardless of what career background anyone have, they can use the skills they learn in this course to mediate disputes that arises in that career environment.

Is mediation just an ‘alternative’ way or ‘the’ way to go?

I can say about this training that the theoretical part of this course was as interesting as the practical part. One of the very interesting moments of the theoretical part was where we were discussing about the newly elected Master of Rolls of England and Wales and the role of mediation. Last month the Master of Rolls Sir Geoffrey Vos, delivered a speech about the Relationship between Formal and Informal Justice. In his speech, he asked ‘why do we keep on talking about Alternative Dispute Resolution?’. In his view, mediation should become integrated part of dispute resolution in every stage and should not just be an ‘alternative’. There are many reasons for this apart from the usual ‘it is a fast process, can be more effective and less costly’ advantages. It can create sustainable, long-term solutions rather than settling a dispute in court with almost zero chance of it helping to keep sustainable relations.

Sustainable solutions

Looking at how mediation can offer sustainable solutions, it can be said that it does not only settle disputes, but it can also bring change into our environments, such as in our workplace. Especially in workplace disputes, it is vital to create a sustainable relationship between the colleagues as well as between managers and colleagues. Disputes do not only affect the colleagues, but also overall morale of a team, time of a manager/HR invested to solve disputes, thus efficiency and profitability of a workforce. Therefore, solving a particular dispute can help parties be happier in their workplace and gain awareness, more empathy, and ways to see other person’s point of view. These skills you gain from workplace mediation course is what helps creating a sustainable workplace relationship. Subsequently, it is a win-win situation for everyone. Happier employees, more productive team, saved time for HR/managers and sustainable solution overall. Finally, a workplace mediation qualified mediator who assisted to achieve this outcome for everyone by her/his personal Professional experience as well as all the skills she/he learned in this course.