Kinds Of Mediation

Many mediators approach mediation in many different kinds of mediation ways. Many people are confused about mediation because it is hard to predict the outcome of a mediation process. There are three major kinds of Mediation processes:

Facilitative Mediation

Transformative Mediation and

Evaluative Mediation.

Facilitative Mediation:

This is the oldest kind of mediation that has been thought and practiced. A facilitative mediator will try to come up with a way to make the parties reach some agreement. What the facilitative mediator handles is the only the handling the process of mediation and does not include making suggestions to the parties involved or predicting the outcome of the case. A facilitative mediator is just there to make sure that the parties reach an understanding based on their own information. They ensure that the parties will have the greatest power the decision they make during the talks.

Transformative Mediation:

The aim of this kind of mediation process is to transform the understanding of both parties during the mediation talks. Transformative mediation empowers the parties and makes them realize each others point of view. It is designed to give both parties a chance to express their own viewpoint. The key feature of this kind of mediation approach is that it enables both parties to get enough information for them to understand the other party on their own. Both parties will see sense from the others viewpoint and this empowers them to a point of resolving the issues by themselves. The mediator has the power on how much both parties will recognize the opponent’s viewpoint.

Evaluative Mediation:

In Evaluative Mediation, the mediator has the ability to affects the outcome of the mediation process. The difference between this kind of mediation and facilitative mediation is that the mediator is allowed to give opinions and make recommendations for all the parties involved unlike in facilitative mediation. In most cases, evaluative mediation is used when the conflicts arises from financial issues. The mediator in this process should bring out clearly the strength and the weakness of each others point of view.

Each kind of mediation style has its strength and weakness. Transformative mediation is very good for revealing underlying issues from both parties although it usually consumes a lot of time. Transformative mediation puts too much focus on feelings in trying to bring out the all the information from both parties. It has been seen that transformative approach works well for most part of reconciling fighting parties. Evaluative mediation approach is very good for situations that cannot employ transformative approach like, when someone wants their money paid back, they have no interest revealing their feelings, they just want their money back.

In the same way we have different personalities, each conflict differs in some way with another. It is hard to come by two conflicts that are similar. Therefore the mediators are advised to regulate how they approach conflicts according to the requirements of each type of conflict. Mediators will find some approaches to work sometimes and do not work sometimes.