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Applications of the Process
Both the mediation process and the mediation skills used by mediators in mediation are readily transportable.
The Process
There are neither rules of procedure nor rules of evidence, and the mediation process is largely unregulated. This means that mediations can be conducted as formally or informally as required by the circumstances. I have mediated in plush oak-panelled boardrooms as well as in the stock room of a retail outlet in Central London - I have even concluded a mediation in a wine bar after the court offices where the mediation was taking place were closed.
In effect, a mediation can take place wherever two or more people are in a dispute, and a mediator is called in to help resolve it.
The Skills
The skills taught to mediators on a mediation course are essentially ‘people skills' and communication techniques. Consequently they can be applied in all spheres of human social activity. The skills involve the art of ‘active listening' - the capacity to fully and comprehensively listen to others, as well as the ability to demonstrate credibly that the other person has been truly heard. Mediators also learn the facility to empathise, an extremely powerful tool in building trust and gaining rapport with another.
These skills are thus invaluable in all situations whenever you are interacting with another - whether a colleague, employee or employer, neighbour, opponent, family relation or friend.