Developing Empathy In Mediation
On Wednesday 14th November Foot Anstey hosted a course for mediators entitled “Developing Empathy in Mediation”.
Andrew Hannam, Chairman of the Association of South West Mediators who sponsored the event, welcomed the course leaders – Leonard Daniels from the Learning Foundation and Lawrence Kershen QC. Delegates ranged from experienced legal professionals with many years work in commercial mediation through to more recently qualified mediators working in community and public sector employment mediation.
The course was designed to look at “soft skills” that could be used by mediators practising in any field of mediation. The morning session, which was led by Leonard Daniels, explored the concept of non violent communication and contrasting judgmental and non judgmental language. This was amusingly illustrated by Leonard’s use of jackal (judgmental) and giraffe (non judgmental) hand puppets. The afternoon session, which was led by Lawrence Kershen QC, saw the delegates working through a series of role play exercises designed to help see events from the other person’s perspective.
Throughout the day the key theme was one of empathy in mediation and, by the end of the day, all the delegates were clear in having developed a better understanding of how to use empathy in the course of mediation to help resolve a range of conflicts.
The Association of South West Mediators is an umbrella organisation offering support and training to its mediator members. The Association is also able to introduce appropriately qualified mediators to help with the resolution of a whole range of disputes that emerge in the workplace, the family, the community or in the commercial environment.
Andrew Hannam, who is Chairman of ASWM, comments that “mediation is a cost effective way of resolving disputes which, in many cases, can allow parties to resolve their conflict in a way which enables both parties to be comfortable with the outcome. Mediation avoids all judgmental conclusions. Parties are allowed to explore their own ways of reaching a resolution and, in so doing, remain in control of the dispute”.”
Published 27/11/2007
