Mediation: Peacefully Hammering out Solutions for Conflicts |
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March 7, 2005
By JJ Singh
jj.singh@hqpublications.com
Health Care Programs Columnist
Disagreements in your personal life and in the workplace can get ugly, but a mediation program can teach you how to handle a family mediation and find a solution to a work-related argument.
Picture a big labor dispute and you immediately think of workers picketing outside a factory, toting signs, and chanting slogans. Then you see the owner standing in his office in the factory, wearing a perfectly tailored suit, and peering down at the protest in disdain. These situations, just like all other conflicts, tend to be the same – both sides want something, but neither side will budge. But before a conflict spirals out of control with violence or messy legal proceedings, mediation is used as the most effective way to broker a solution.
Mediation, also known as conflict resolution, is the foundation around which big problems are solved. Mediation is essential for bringing two sides of an argument together, to find common ground and collectively brainstorm solutions.
If you're interested in obtaining conflict resolution training, there are two types you can seek. One gives you the skills you need to solve problems you encounter in your job or your personal life. The other gives you the training you need to start a career in conflict resolution. There are several career options from which you can choose: family mediation, executive coaching, and personal counseling.
Getting into the mediation field is not as hard as you might think. There are no national requirements and few states have rules for certification or licensing. The most important step in acquiring conflict resolution training is finding the right mediation program for you – one that gives you hands-on problem solving experience and allows you to practice your skills in real scenarios.
Once you've gotten the right training, you'll be able to solve family disagreements that pop up in your life, and you'll be able to bring two sides together from across the picket line.
About the Author
JJ Singh is a recently returned Peace Corps Volunteer in South America where he encountered and wrote about innumerable health issues. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he earned a bachelor's degree in Economics.
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