Mediation is a process with many variations and is used for many different purposes. Preventive mediation is designed to address a conflict early and prevent negative consequences. It should be distinguished from litigative mediation, a form of the process designed to settle court cases.
Preventive mediation is ideal for conflicts involving people who have an ongoing relationship. Applied to conflicts between employees, members of school communities, neighbors, roommates, family members and others, it can redirect interactions headed down a destructive path. Employment mediation, workplace mediation, partnership mediation, and community mediation are all examples of varying settings where this approach has been very effective.
It is most successful when used early. For example, in a workplace, use it at a point when a conflict feels serious and defies resolution by those having it or their managers, but before someone quits, takes physical action, or hires a lawyer. Use it when someone files a grievance or an EEO complaint as a sidebar process that can resolve the conflict and reduce or eliminate the need to go forward with a more formal process.”
Save time, money, emotional upset, liability exposure, and employee turnover in a workplace. Convert a deteriorating relationship to a mutually supportive one in any setting.