Mediation Consultant
PROFESSIONALISM: REMAIN SHARP
OR STAY OUT OF VOGUE
This brief article examines the effectiveness of our mediation tools, while emphasising more critical self assessment of individual abilities to recognise personal strength and weaknesses. It will conclude that there is the pertinency for continuous learning to facilitate both the professional and personal growth of mediators. I have taking my inspiration from the Bible while using a brief anecdote to make this article more understandable.
The wisdom of King Solomon is yet to be challenged in our modern times. The book of Ecclesiates is considered a compendium of wisdom and knowledge for all human beings. I find in this book advise and answers to most life questions. It is not my intention to ask people to read the good book (Bible), though Christians ought to for admonition and guidance. However, for those who want to be peace makers or take Mediation as a calling, the book of Ecclesiates has a very special message for efficient and result-oriented professionalism.
Though ethically mediators do not own any dispute, or are they in any position to force disputants to reach agreements, this book has advise and educates mediators on how to prepare, remain relevant and successful in dispute resolution .
According to King Solomon, “if the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success” (Ecclesaistes,10:10). Taking from the above statement, an axe is an instrumrnt which we use for many purposes, such as cutting the tress, and even in butchery. And one thing any wood worker or butcher would not like to experience is a dull axe or (Knife). This will not only slow down his work,but will make him spend more time and unnecessary power in cutting down even a small tree. The fraustration and disappointment this situation brings is capable of eroding professional confidence from clients, who expects from us effective results. Hence the need to stay sharp by giving our instrument of service a facelift from time to time.
For proper understanding, I will like to borrow a story about two forest workers who challenged each other to see which one could cut down more tress in a day. At the sunrise in the morning the first one began fastly cutting down trees. He worked so fast that by mid noon he was able to fell 16 trees. Meanwhile his friend had not down so well, but was able to cut down only 4 trees, because he spent two hours to sharpen and oil his axe.
When he was doing this, his friend was laughing at him, while at the same time counting victory because his friend has wasted much time sharpening his axe. But that’s when wisdom is about to manifest. Alas! By the early afternoon the first forest worker was slowing down in apparent difficulty. It took him almost an hour to cut down a tree, while his friend was picking up speed after sharpening his axe. The first man could not understand what was happening even though both of them match in strength or stamina. But “wisdom” as king Solomon said “has the advantage of giving success.” And in this case stamina or how many trees one cut has nothing to do with the success. It was rather about whose axe is sharper.
As the day drew near to end, the result is evident. The second lumber-man who took time to update his instrument has cut several trees more than his friend and comfortably won the competition.
MEDIATORS TAKE-AWAY (Lesson)
The take away for mediators especially newly certificated ones, is that the well-over 40-50 hours of training might not be enough to remain efficient in the job. The field of ADR is new, but also becoming a challenging field of practice that requires further knowledge and learning. Especially in the aspects of marrying theory with practice. It is only wishful thinking which might convince mediators that their present situation and knowledge of mediation is enough. Basic training courses presents only the elementary knowledge of mediation, while further professional knowledge can be acquired and developed only with more practical experience and continuing education, reading relevant literature, attending forums discussing questions and dilemmas encountered by professional mediators.
In our fast globalising world, the field of ADR will be confronted to find new approaches to effective mediation practice. It will not therefore be sufficient to boast of how many cases we mediated but how conversant one is with with new approaches to dispute resolution. As conflicts become more complexed, mediators are equally faced with the need to sharpen and update their professional acumen through continuous skills acquirements. In their article in a negotiation journal, Hoffman and Bowling (2002) agree that for effective practice mediators should also take cognisant of the definition of personal and professional boundaries, and development of self-awareness. The mediators success depends mostly on his ability cleanse him or herself of accumulated biases (Emmy Irobi:2007:36-39). And as such further development of self-awareness in the areas of neutrality and empathy towards sides in disputes gives the Mediator a sharpened edge of the axe to do effective job.
Significantly, the Polish Centrum for Mediation (PCM) is equal to the task of providing training and template for such axe sharpening. Recently calls for registration for divorce and civil dispute mediation was posted in the bulletin “Mediator”(March 2007:70-74). Mediators ought to take advantage of these training opportunities to improve their services to the society. A perfect instrument of sharpening our mediation “axe” or professional tools. The attractiveness of such advantage will depend also on quality contents of the training inorder to avoid jeopardising the status of mediation as a profession, eroding the publics belief in mediation as an alternative to legal proceedings.
In conclusion, I want us to consider the lessons from our short story as well as the wise advise from King Solomon, as some thing of great importance in to our profession . One great advise here is that your present comfortable condition of knowledge and practice may feed your ego and satisfy your needs to have more clients, but eventually:
it might leave you emotionally and professionally dull.
The clients who once needed you will no sooner go for some one sharper (with new and advanced methods and skills in the process), leaving you feeling “used” and incompetent.
and because you have lost the sharp edge of your axe or professional instrument, you might not be ready and fit for new challenges that the profession might bring in future.
In this repect, mediators should not relax their oars in acquiring further knowledge in ADR or mediation, but rather should apply wisdom of increasing kowledge of the practice for better peacemaking process.
EMMY IROBI (dr.)
