The A-Z of Mediation: Surroundings

Conflict in general can be a scary thing. If you add in the process of mediation, which most people won't have experienced before, this can lead to an even greater level of anxiety. Therefore, we must take steps to make the environment as safe and comfortable as possible.

One of the first things that we ask of case referrers is to find a suitable venue away from the participants’ usual working environment. By holding the mediation in a neutral location, we are hoping that this can 'take them out of the conflict' (by taking them away from where it usually happens) and level the playing field if there is a power imbalance (such as between a line manager and a report, for example).

We also want the venue to be in a quiet place with as little distractions as possible. Outside noises and general footfall can both be distracting, and we want parties to be focused entirely on the task at hand. We also don't want colleagues or other people popping in and out throughout the day!

Finally, an available side room is required too. If things start to get too much for one of the participants, or if things get a bit heated, we can then split up the parties and carry out 'shuttle mediation'. It can also be useful if parties need a few minutes to collect themselves, or if they want to discuss something with the mediator in private.

We also need to consider the seating arrangements when we bring parties together for the joint meeting. We would recommend the parties and mediator sitting inward in an offset position: parties can then interact if they wish, but they don't necessarily feel compelled to meet the gaze of the other person. Facing one another directly is not recommended as this can feel very confrontational.

Parties should also be far enough away from each other that they don't feel threatened or crowded, but not so far that they have to raise their voices to be heard. The mediator may decide to have a small coffee table in between them as this can provide a little bit of psychological security.