Author: mediation-admin

Good leaders are good mediators as well. They help to resolve conflicts among employees and make peace for a better environment in the company.

Mediation skills are not just for mediators or divorce lawyers. Rather, they are an important part of a business manager’s toolkit. Every leader must have this kind of soft skill to take a company out of turbulent times.

If you work in an organization, you will commonly find that two employees or parties come into conflict with each other. In such cases, the mediation skills of a leader play their role to settle down the matter through mediated conversation.

Therefore, it is important to learn about the required mediation skills for leadership. Mediation Services in Winnipeg offers training to learn about the best practices for managers and supervisors dealing with employee conflict.

This blog post will help you understand why learning mediation skills are important in leadership and how you can learn them.

It Helps In Managing Conflicts

Conflict is caused by change, and if the change is not integrated into the company, it can lead to severe opposition. One of the greatest benefits of learning meditation skills for leaders is that it helps manage conflicts and prevents them from escalating. This is one of the most helpful skills of a good mediator.

While working in any organization, people will always have differences in their opinions. A true leader can create such an environment where everyone can openly discuss their opinions, values, perspectives, and ideas without feeling threatened.

A leader in the form of a mediator makes sure that everyone expresses their point of view and helps parties engage in each other’s perspectives. They focus more on constructive discussion and avoid ineffective arguments. Thus, this skill helps them manage conflicts smartly, and they can tackle any heated dispute that might arise.

It Helps You Become A Better Listener

Often, you listen to what the other person is saying but don’t realize why they are saying so. A good leader with mediation skills engages in a diagnostic search process that helps them identify the reason behind the other person’s argument or opinion.

Moreover, a leader with the required mediation skills can understand others’ opinions and get to know about one’s own biases to compensate for them. Therefore, mediation skills help you learn how to listen to other people’s points of view and your own. So, you can make a decision in the best interest of your company and your employees.

The Outcome Is Agreeable

Mediation skills help you find an agreeable outcome for everybody. An effective arbitration technique can help find common ground acceptable by everyone in the conflict. This way, the parties will interact with each other, and there will be no grudge against one another.

How Can You Learn Mediation Skills For Better Leadership?

Learning mediation skills for better leadership is important. A good leader must have the following skills to be an effective mediator:

• Investigating the context around the issue.
• Listening to people’s opinions calmly.
• An impartial view of the position of each party.
• An empathetic approach to evaluate the issue.
• Ability to find common ground for the conflicting parties.
• Ability to remain calm during heated arguments.

Learn Mediation Skills With Us

People spend a lot of time reading different books to learn about mediation skills. These books might help you learn mediation techniques; however, training on mediation skills for leaders can teach you how to apply those skills in life practically.

Mediation Services is offering online zoom and asynchronous webinars for teaching mediation skills and helping in conflict resolution. We are also offering a workshop on mediation skills for leaders that intends to provide people (particularly leaders) with the skills and processes to bring two parties in conflict together for a mediated conversation. From this course, you will learn:

• How to minimize conflict and lead the conversation between two conflicted employees.
• Learn how to coach both parties to accept their contribution to the situation
• Explore and learn to manage unexpected situations in the process.
• Examine their role and management style in response to the conflict of direct reports.
• Explore how to maintain the role of a fair, third-party mediator when you are one of the stakeholders in the dispute.

Mediation Services has expert trainers and qualified teachers to help you learn about the necessary mediation skills. If you would like to learn more about us, you can contact us here.

Being in a conflict is very stressful and frustrating. The conflicting party might be your close family members, friends, neighbours, or work colleagues.

Such conflicts not only affect your relationships with that person but also adversely impact your daily life. Many people may try to ignore these conflicts. However, this often leads to unresolved conflicts which is even worse.

Resolving conflicts is a critical procedure to make peace with the conflicting party and yourself. Unfortunately, not many people understand how to resolve conflicts to save their relationships from deteriorating. For this, Mediation Services in Winnipeg offers several workshops on managing conflicts and learning conflict resolution.

This blog post discusses what conflict is. We will talk about the consequences of different responses and how Mediation Services can help you overcome those negative consequences and resolve your conflicts.

What Is A Conflict?

A conflict is a clash of interests between two independent parties due to their differences in attitude, understandings, interests, and perceptions. When two parties don’t agree on a common goal, a conflict may arise. This results in heated arguments, verbal abuses, and sometimes, even physical abuses.

Some people consider conflict to be bad and avoid it at all costs, while others consider it an opportunity to grow and learn or compel others to accept or understand their viewpoints.

Your beliefs, behaviour, and attitude directly contribute to conflict situations. Therefore, understanding your beliefs, the consequences of your actions and your attitude in a particular conflict situation is crucial. That is what conflict management courses aim to teach you so you can gain better control over the situation.

What Are Beliefs In Conflicts?

Your beliefs determine your point of view, which might be different from the other person’s. A conflict will arise when there is a difference in beliefs, how you respond to those differences, and ultimately the consequences of those responses.

The first step towards conflict resolution is to believe that conflicts are natural and will exist. When there are two parties involved, there will be some differences of opinion. But, how to handle those differences is what really matters. Therefore, understanding how conflict operates in our lives is important.

However, many people tend to go into denial and have an ignorant attitude towards conflicts. The most common beliefs in people about conflict include:

• Conflict is bad.
• A good person doesn’t rock the boat (can have conflicting opinions).
• Good relationships don’t have conflicts.
• A Conflict means verbal or physical aggression.
• Working out a conflict takes too much time.
• I have to win in my argument.
• I won’t be liked if I raise objections.

However, everybody must be accepting of conflicts and believe that they are inevitable.

What Are The Common Responses And Consequences Of A Conflict?

Below are some of the common responses and consequences that are usually seen during conflicts:

Responses To Conflicts

• Rebuking oneself.
• Becoming sarcastic.
• Pretending nothing is wrong.
• Venting to someone.
• Smiling no matter how stressful the situation is.
• Slight seething.
• Reflecting or journaling.
• Discussing with an authority figure.
• Discussing with the person.

Consequences Of Conflict

• Confusions or clarity
• Hurt feelings
• Anger
• Shame
• Escalation or de-escalation
• Poor relationship
• Decrease or increase of trust
• Loss or gain of confidence/self-esteem

A New Paradigm For The Beliefs About Conflict

The first thing you need to understand is that conflict is a natural and inevitable part of life and happens in the best personal and professional relationships. It can be constructive if you handle it well but destructive if handled poorly. All this depends on your response to a conflict.

To resolve a conflict, understanding what has happened requires that every voice in the conflict be heard. You can shift another’s competitive energy towards a win/win situation instead of win/lose. Gaining better control of yourself can control your negative emotional response and thus, help in resolving conflict.

Participate In Our Conflict Resolution Courses

If you have been thinking about resolving your conflicts in a peaceful way, Mediation Services in Winnipeg is your go-to option to learn about conflict resolution skills. We have been offering conflict resolution services and training for years. If you would like to learn some skills for conflict resolution or more, you can check out our online Zoom and asynchronous webinars here.

In this webinar, we will help you learn conflict resolution by:

• Exploring personal case studies.
• Learning communications skills and styles which you can use in a conflicting situation.
• Increasing your ability to proactively engage others to resolve conflicts.
• Learning and practicing processes for clearing up misunderstandings, recovering from mistakes, and resolving disagreements.

If you want to know more about us, contact us here.

Low-level and poorly resolved family conflicts, especially between parents, are very common but usually considered inconsequential. Bickering and small actions like giving the cold shoulder or eye-rolling are a common part of family conflicts, and many believe that these actions don’t have an impact since it is not physical violence. But is this true?

Conflict is common in families. It can happen when family members have different views or beliefs that clash. It is also a common outcome when people misunderstand each other and jump to the wrong conclusion. However, it is crucial to understand that issues of conflict that are not resolved peacefully can lead to arguments and resentment, which can harm families, especially children.

Conflict is generally intense enough to disrupt some aspects of the relationship, such as communication. This is what differentiates it from simply having a different point of view. Moreover, it is not only romantic partners who can experience relationship conflict. Other members of the family can also become involved in the conflict.

However, despite the type of conflict, if it is prolonged and exaggerated, it can affect the mental health of the people involved. Many studies have shown that poorly managed conflicts have resulted in mental health problems in children, including depression, anxiety, poor sleep, and aggressive behavior.

On the other hand, reducing chronic conflict and tension has shown to help children feel the emotional security they need for robust mental health.

In this blog, we have listed how mishandled, and mismanaged conflict can harm families.

Decreased Emotional Security

Emotional security is defined as the confidence in the availability of attachment figures if an individual desires it, which influences the susceptibility to fear. This is built during the years of immaturity based on the person’s experience regarding their accessibility and responsiveness to attachment figures.

It is one of the most important aspects of a satisfying connection in any relationship. However, unresolved and mishandled conflicts in families can lead to family members being emotionally insecure. This not only affects the family member’s relationship with their peers but also with future romantic partners. This also affects their relationships with other family members.

Emotional insecurity can also lead to depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. All these issues are birthed due to the feeling of inadequacy and uncertainty. Studies also show that emotional insecurity can also lead to anxiety about your goals, relationships, and ability to handle certain situations.

Externalization Of Distress

Many family members of conflicted families have been known to externalize their frustration, sadness, and anxiety in the form of aggression and hostility. If conflicts are mishandled and mismanaged, family members, especially children, can become anti-social and non-compliant.

Studies show that children from high-conflict homes are more likely to have poor interpersonal skills, problem-solving abilities, and social competence. This negatively impacts their romantic relationships in adolescence and adulthood. They tend to perceive themselves and their social worlds more negatively and have more negative pictures or internal representations of family relationships.

Health Issues

Mishandled conflicts not only affect the mental health of family members but can also have a substantial negative effect on their physical health as well. Researchers at Portland State University’s Institute on Aging studied more than 650 adults for over two years. They found that these individuals were significantly associated with lower self-rated health, more significant functional limitations, and a higher number of health conditions.

Unresolved and mishandled conflict can lead to chronic stress, which can cause certain physical conditions, including:

• Acne
• Anxiety disorders
• Burnout
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Digestive issues (such as diarrhea, constipation, ulcers)
• Hair loss
• Heart disease
• Hyperthyroidism
• Insomnia
• Obesity

How To Handle Conflict?

Even though you might feel the urge to push the point that you are right to win an argument, it is better to control your impulse and try to find a peaceful resolution. Finding a peaceful resolution is difficult, but it is not impossible.

Unfortunately, not many of us know what it takes to handle a conflict peacefully to find the best possible solution. If you are really looking forward to solving some unresolvable conflicts, it is best to get help from a local mediator.

Mediation services offer a plethora of courses to help you deal with your anger, manage unresolvable conflicts, deal with difficult people and learn more about conflict resolution in general.

About Mediation Services

Mediation Services has provided services in mediation and conflict resolution since 1979. Our mission is to empower individuals in conflict, create safe spaces for difficult conversations, and build capacity for future conflict. Mediation Services is a non-profit organization with a social enterprise. We receive funding through Manitoba Justice for our court diversion referrals and from United Way to subsidize our family and community conflict resolution costs. Our training programs build skills in conflict management, leadership, and mediation. Contact us for more information about our services.

Has your anger been hijacking your life for as long as you can remember? Or do you know someone who needs help managing their anger? In either case, before jumping into the process of anger management, it is important to understand what it is and what causes it.

Anger is a natural, normal and completely healthy human emotion that is mostly used to convey a message. Although you can use anger to convey a message in some situations, mismanaged anger can affect your personal, professional and social life.

Some people believe that venting your anger is healthy and those who consider it too much are being too sensitive. However, it is important to understand that anger is most likely to have a negative impact on the way people see you, impair your judgment, and get in the way of success.

In this blog, we talk about the negative effects of anger on your health, myths regarding anger management and some tips to help you manage your anger.

Effects Of Anger

Chronic anger is something that you have to deal with as soon as possible. Constant flare ups and spiralling out of control due to anger can have serious consequences not only on the way people perceive and deal with you but also on your health. Here are a few consequences you will have to deal with if you have anger management issues.

• Being in a constant state of agitation and stress will make you susceptible to heart disease, diabetes, a weakened immune system, insomnia, and high blood pressure.
• Anger consumes a lot of your mental energy, this makes it difficult to concentrate on other important parts of your life.
• It can induce stress, depression and other mental health issues.
• Mismanaged anger might cause you to lash out on your colleagues, supervisors, or clients which will have a negative impact on your career.
• Anger issues can erode your relationships and get in the way of friendships.

Anger Management Myths

Like many other topics, there are several myths related to anger management that people believe in and act upon. Some of these myths that might have an adverse effect on your life are:

It Is Okay To Let It All Out

When it comes to anger, many people believe in venting and letting it all out. You might have heard that holding in your anger is unhealthy. While that may be true in some cases, you should understand that it is not okay to let your anger out in an aggressive way.

Aggression Earns Respect

It is mind boggling how many people actually believe in this. Respect does not come from bullying others. It might scare them into obeying you if you are in a position of power but this is not respect.

You Cannot Control Anger

This is not true. You cannot control the situation you are in but you can certainly control how it makes you feel and the way you react. All you need to do is manage your emotions.

How Can Anger Management Help?

When we talk about anger management, people believe that it is about suppressing your anger. However, that is not the case. Setting a goal that you will never get angry again is not healthy. Anger will come out regardless of how hard you try to hold it in.

Dealing with anger focuses on developing an understanding of the effects of anger on conflict situations. The true goal of anger management is not to suppress feelings of anger, but rather to understand the message behind the emotion and express it in a healthy way without losing control.

Mediation services offer several anger management and conflict resolution courses that can help you deal with these issues.

In these courses, the participants have the opportunity to increase self-awareness about their own patterns and beliefs about anger. Interactive exercises, group discussions and videos are used to teach specific skills and concepts that help participants to learn both about managing their own anger and responding to another’s anger effectively.

About Mediation Services

Mediation Services has been providing services in mediation and conflict resolution since 1979. Our mission is to empower individuals in conflict, create safe spaces for difficult conversations, and build capacity for future conflict. Mediation Services is a non-profit organization with a social enterprise. We receive funding through Manitoba Justice for our court diversion referrals and from United Way to subsidize our costs for family and community conflict resolutions. Our training programs build skills in conflict management, leadership, and mediation. Contact us for more information about our services.

Maintaining assertiveness in situations that affect you at an emotional level is something many people lack. It is a skill that can be developed with some practice and proper guidance.

Assertiveness is the ability to express what is important to you and how you feel about it while communicating and behaving in a way that respects and allows the same for the other person.

Assertiveness is relative to the situation and the people involved. It is easier to be assertive in some situations than in others. Moreover, many people find it easier to be assertive with strangers than with their friends while others find it easier to be assertive at home than at work.

Even though maintaining an assertive personality can be risky in some situations, it is up to you to create a balance. Individuals who are unable to communicate effectively and assertively run the risk of facing a wide array of potential problems, including anxiety, depression, ill health, increased stress, lack of job-related success, and difficulties in relationships.

Being assertive helps you build self-esteem and self-confidence. It can mean disagreeing with others and setting limits when necessary. This makes assertive communication extremely important to succeed in both your professional and personal life.

Passive Behaviour Might Portray You As Timid

Many people take the passive approach toward arguments and situations in real life. Due to this, they seem shy or overly easygoing. If you say things such as “I’ll just go with whatever the group decides,” it shows you are trying to avoid conflict.

While many believe it is good to avoid conflict, just going with whatever everyone else decides sends a message that your thoughts and feelings are not as important as those of other people. In essence, when you are too passive, you give others the license to disregard your wants and needs.

For example, If you say yes when a colleague asks you to take over a project, even though you are already busy, just because you are too shy or nice to say no will unintentionally give away the message that your personal life does not matter. The additional load will force you to work overtime and hence, you will miss any personal commitments.

You should know how to convey your needs and requirements without coming off as offensive or aggressive. At Mediation Services we have several courses that can help you to develop skills to communicate more effectively.

Aggressive Behaviour Puts You Across As A Bully

If you are not passive but are rather aggressive when it comes to communicating your needs and requirements, you may come across as a bully who disregards the needs, feelings, and opinions of others.

People might believe that you are self-righteous or feel superior to others. They might feel humiliated and intimidated by your presence. Aggression undercuts trust and mutual respect. Others may come to resent you, leading them to avoid or oppose you.

If you are too aggressive when communicating how you feel and what you want, it is time to learn to be assertive. There is nothing wrong with communicating how you feel, you just have to do it the right way.

Meditation Services offers detailed courses and online training programs to help you improve your communication skills.

Benefits Of Being Assertive

Being assertive is a healthier communication style. It prevents you from letting people take advantage of you and also stops you from acting like a bully to others. Some of the benefits of being assertive include:

• It makes you sound confident
• It helps you build self-esteem
• You are able to understand and recognize your feelings
• You earn respect from others
• It helps you improve your overall communication skills
• You appear more honest and transparent
• You are able to set boundaries for your own good
• You will be able to argue and delegate in a better way

About Mediation Services

Mediation Services has been providing services in mediation and conflict resolution since 1979. Our mission is to empower individuals in conflict, create safe spaces for difficult conversations, and build capacity for future conflict. Mediation Services is a non-profit organization with a social enterprise. We receive funding through Manitoba Justice for our court diversion referrals and from United Way to subsidize our costs for family and community conflict resolutions. Our training programs build skills in conflict management, leadership, and mediation. Contact us for more information about our services.

It is essential for mediators to maintain high standards for professional dispute resolution. Mediators have different expertise and work with different types of cases such as victim/offender court diversion cases, workplace and union disputes, neighborhood conflict or community groups, child custody, and divorce.

Every case will have varying challenges and call for professionalism and high levels of self-awareness that puts the parties at the forefront of the process. A mediator must also have an awareness of their limitations and the limits of mediation, and have knowledge of when to terminate the mediation process and recommend alternative interventions. While assisting the parties in the process, mediators hold key ethical principles throughout the process.

In knowing these values, you can be reassured that you have a lot of power in this process, to voice your needs and be heard as you work through the conflict and move towards problem-solving and restoration with the other party.

Conflict Of Interest

Like lawyers and doctors, mediators should avoid serving in cases in which they have a direct or indirect interest. The interest can be of personal, professional, or financial benefit.

Due to a conflict of interest, their job can become complicated. Moreover, based on the biased mediation, the session can go into shambles. Hence, before you start a mediation session, make sure that you ask the mediator for a side of disclosure. If the mediator happens to be related to the case in any way, you can always opt for another mediator. However, this should be done well in advance.

Professional Boundaries

It is up to the mediator to know the limits of what they can and cannot do. Just like in any other profession, each mediator has an area of expertise. Some are specialized in domestic mediation while others are proficient at legal disputes.

It is up to the mediator to only take on assignments that fall within their expertise. They should candidly communicate with the respective parties if the case is beyond their specialization and experience.

Impartiality

The mediator should work towards being impartial towards both parties and the outcome of the mediation. Self-awareness is a significant aspect of being a successful mediator, along with recognizing situations of unconscious bias. It can be difficult to engage with parties without developing some feelings or bias about them or the situation. However, this is part of the job and it is necessary for the mediator to remain impartial throughout the session.

You can request a new mediator if you believe that your mediator is being partial towards the other party. However, keep in mind that if you are not getting favorable results, just for the sake of getting a new mediator, you cannot accuse your current mediator of being partial.

Confidentiality

Another major aspect of mediation is confidentiality. Your mediator must safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of the mediation process from the parties as well as from those outside the mediation.

Moreover, when a mediator meets separately with one of the parties, he/she must maintain the confidentiality of anything said in that private session that that party does not want the other party or parties to know. In addition, mediators have a duty to inform the parties of any relevant limits of confidentiality, such as mandated reporting of child abuse or the planned commission of a crime.

In the case of restorative justice mediation, the mediator will seek accountability for the charges that have been laid.

Conclusion

Mediators maintain high standards to ensure that mediation is a participant-led process and that parties are empowered and supported. The goal is to set up the parties for the best chance of success so they are satisfied with the outcome and their decision-making throughout the process.

About Mediation Services

Mediation Services has been providing services in mediation and conflict resolution since 1979. Our mission is to empower individuals in conflict, create safe spaces for difficult conversations, and build capacity for future conflict. Mediation Services is a non-profit organization with a social enterprise. We receive funding through Manitoba Justice for our court diversion referrals and from United Way to subsidize our costs for family and community conflict resolutions. Our training program builds skills in conflict management, leadership, and mediation. Contact us for more information about our services.

Neighbourhood conflicts are common and bound to happen. People of different concepts and thoughts have to live in the same community, and as such, their behaviors, habits, and etiquette might be different from one another.

Just like you are affected by some of the habits of your neighbours, your neighbours might also be annoyed by some of your acts that might lead to severe neighbourhood conflicts. Neighbourhood conflicts can arise due to various reasons, and can be resolved through the help of a mediation services company. This blog post highlights the most common causes of neighbourhood conflicts and what you can do about them.

Common Causes Of Neighbourhood Conflicts

Late Night Noise

Whether it be late-night parties or someone playing music in your neighbourhood, late-night noise can be problematic for those living in the area. This can cause disputes in the neighbourhood. Noise is one of the most common complaints in neighbourhood conflicts but can be managed if you are considerate about the time to choose to make noise and comply with the needs of others in your neighbourhood.

Pets

Your neighbours’ dog might not be that friendly and might scare you wherever you are trying to get inside your own home or park your car in your garage. Pets can be an inconvenience for some people, and they might not like that their neighbours have a pet and would rather they not have one at all. Another common problem is the failure of the owner to handle and train their pets, especially dogs, properly. This can lead to severe outcomes when an animal gets out of control. Proper training and having a safe cage that you can put your dog in when you are out can resolve such issues.

Property Disputes

Another common scenario in neighbourhood conflicts is over the property. If you and your neighbour share a common sidewalk, you might run into a dispute over who should shovel the snow, mow the lawn, or take care of the fence. Such conflicts can lead to quarrels every time there is a need to do any of these tasks. However, proper communication and division of responsibilities can reduce such issues.

Spying

Some neighbours have a bad habit of spying on other people around and observing their daily activities. At the same time, you can’t completely ignore everything and keep your head down while going in and out. Spying is an annoying habit for your neighbours and must be avoided unless you suspect criminal behaviour. Invasion of privacy is another common issue in neighbourhood conflicts.

How To Resolve Neighbourhood Conflicts

You can resolve neighbourhood conflicts by taking proper steps towards open communication and opting for meditation services. Other than this, you can take the following measures:

• Be positive about your neighbour. Don’t always assume that your neighbour is doing something on purpose to irritate you.
• Learn to communicate. Tell them politely what is bothering you and how you can find a solution for the problem.
• Be appreciative of the efforts that your neighbour does.
• Keep your neighbours informed before doing anything, such as if you are planning on installing a fence, keeping a pet, buying a car, or organizing a party at night.
• Be calm when your neighbour comes to you with their problem. Don’t react defensively and listen to what they are saying.
• Get help from professionals. There are mediation services available in your community that can help you when you think that you can’t handle the problem on your own.

About Mediation Services

Mediation Services is a Mennonite Central Committee that provides effective mediation services for families, neighbourhoods, and other conflicts. Our professional staff are experts in conflict resolution and helping you with your life’s problems. Contact us for more information.

Most people, especially those who are trying to settle legal disputes, don’t really know what to expect when negotiating across a mediation table. These negotiations are usually nothing like what the parties have experienced before.

Due to their lack of prior experience, when parties come to the mediation table, they find themselves shocked, disheartened, and frustrated especially upon receiving their opening settlement offer.

In this blog, we talk about what you can expect when you go to a mediation table and how you can make the most of the situation you are in.

Expect A Troublesome Start

When you go to a mediation service to help you settle a dispute, especially a legal one, both or one of the parties are required to offer an opening settlement. In most cases, this leads to a hyper-inflated situation topped with outrage, pessimism, and discouragement.

Although mediators are very much used to the display of emotions, parties like to believe that emotional reactions to hardball openings mean that the mediation is over. However, with proper guidance and a good mediator in the picture, the process can move on smoothly and reach a viable conclusion.

Your mediator can talk to each party alone and listen to them vent to bring some calm into the situation and encourage the consideration of a longer perspective. A few points that you should remember are:

1. The first settlement offer is merely an opening figure. It does not decide the conclusion.
2. Mediation is frequently an all-day process.
3. No one actually expects the first offer to be accepted.
4. Opening offers are rarely a true reflection of what a party is willing to offer or accept.
5. The other side’s top or bottom line is unlikely to become evident until several offers.

Moreover, if you are the offering party, know that unrealistic opening proposals lead to equally unproductive, unrealistic, and reactionary counter-proposals which in turn cause outrage and dismay. So, make sure you are reasonable when providing offers.

Hardball Tactics Are Used

Once the parties have provided their opening statements or offers, the negotiations usually continue at a glacial pace for several more rounds. In some cases, the movements and increments are barely noticeable which can be extremely frustrating.

This is usually done to cloud the other party’s judgment. Even some trained and experienced negotiators might do this. Some of the reasons for this are:

• The Negotiator was trained to negotiate aggressively.
• Some believe an aggressive, negative opening offer sends the right opening message that is “Don’t get your hopes up.”
• Some seek to establish a favorable negotiation range before the other side can do so.
• Some believe an unproductive number can help lower the other side’s expectations about the value of the dispute.
• Some actually believe that discouraging the other side early is an important step in the softening-up process.

Hence, it is advised that you go into the situation with a realistic perspective and a robust understanding of the process.

The Other Side Is Counting On Your Impatience

Don’t get discouraged by unrealistic, unproductive opening numbers. Proposals demanded in round one rarely predict where a dispute may settle and good settlements require patience.

Moreover, mediation sessions are scheduled for the entire day and there may be as many as five, six, or seven rounds back and forth before the process is complete. Hence, try to be patient throughout the process. Some things you can do to ensure a favorable conclusion are:

• Know what to expect
• Be patient and flexible
• Keep an open mind
• Plan strategically
• Listen carefully
• Make constructive and reciprocal proposals using an understandable rationale

About Mediation Services

Do you want to reach out to a safer and more reliable option to settle your conflicts? Call Mediation Services to have your family, neighborhood, or workplace conflicts resolved by our professionals. Our online workshops and on-site training can resolve your issues without all the emotional stress.

According to recent research, one in four adults are having trouble paying their bills since the coronavirus pandemic hit and created a rift in most industries around the world. As a result, countless people are facing eviction. Although things are slowly going back to normal, it will take a while before people start recovering from the challenging year they have had.

Many families have already started using up their savings or retirement accounts to make ends meet. From paying bills to dealing with rent and mortgage costs, things have been difficult for as much as 46 percent of the population.

Amidst all this, receiving an eviction notice can be devastating. Most people don’t know how to deal with the situation and start panicking. In this blog, we have mentioned a few pointers that can help you deal with an eviction notice.

Know What Happened

If you have received, or are suspecting an eviction notice, it is important to understand why you are receiving it and what it means. You will most likely receive a written notification of eviction from a landlord if they have decided to move forward with the eviction process.

The notice will have details about the reason why you are being evicted and the time you have to clear away your belongings. It might also have the following headings:

• Notice to Quit
• Notice to Cure or Quit
• Demand for Compliance or Right to Possession Compliance

If your notice has the third heading you might have the choice to ask the landlord to give you more time under certain conditions.

Respond Quickly

Instead of getting scared and worried after receiving the eviction notice, it is best to respond quickly to try and work things out with the landlord outside the courtroom. Evictions are expensive for both parties, and there’s a good chance your landlord is as strapped for cash as you are.

Ignoring a written eviction notice might turn out to be the worst decision you make. It might be used against you in the courtroom. It is imperative that you understand and respond to the landlord and the court with any required paperwork.

Make Arrangements To Avoid Disagreements

If you and your landlord fail to reach an agreement about the eviction, it is better to work with a skilled mediator. Sometimes, to come to a wise and sustainable conclusion a third party is required. Getting the advice of an independent expert can go a long way in achieving that goal. A third party that has no stake in the case can provide objective advice, which can help limit arguments and resentment.

Heading to court to solve your issues will be much more expensive, tedious, and mentally draining. With the help of a neutral third party, you and your landlord may come to a solution that avoids eviction.

What Happens If You Don’t Comply

If you don’t reach a conclusion outside the court and don’t comply with the eviction notice, your landlord can file a lawsuit when the eviction notice period ends. Once the eviction notice is processed, you will receive copies of the filed court documents, and the court will issue a summons for you to appear.

You will be required to file an answer to the complaint on or before a specific date. If you fail to answer, the court can enter a judgment against you.

About Us

At Mediation Services we understand how frustrating eviction notices can be. Our mediation experts have been trained to provide alternative dispute resolution services to help you and your landlord reach a conclusion that is beneficial for both of you.

We offer a flexible, and cost-effective alternative to the long, expensive resolution system that involves the courts and judiciaries. Our mediation services will provide both of you with an unbiased, and neutral mediator who will facilitate a reasonable discussion. For more information about our services contact us.

When you share space with someone, disputes are likely to occur every now and then. From endlessly barking dogs to loud music being played at late hours of the night, there are so many reasons why you may be experiencing problems with your neighbors. The world is filled with different types of people and sometimes you might have to share your neighborhood with people you don’t get along with.

Any issue with a neighbor can make you feel upset. There are so many things at stake and sometimes conflict with a neighbor can even make you feel unsafe and uncomfortable in your own home.

When both parties feel like they are on the right side of a dispute, things can escalate quickly. Tensions can run incredibly high if no one is willing to sit to talk and figure out a solution. This can lead to long-term feuds and even violence in worst-case scenarios.

Some Common Reasons For Neighbourhood Disputes

• Property fences
• Overhanging trees, shrubs, or plants
• Loud noise or music
• Lifestyle or environmental issues
• Children or teenager’s behavior
• Dogs and other pets
• Invasion of privacy
• Overuse of driveways or common areas

Whether you’re renting or you own a property, there comes a time when you have to handle conflicts with neighbors. Knowing how to approach your neighbor in a peaceful way and what to do is important. However, this skill does not come so easily to everyone.

Continue reading to learn some strategies on how you can manage a neighborhood dispute in a way that will solve the problem without creating a new one.

Make Sure It’s Actually A Problem

First, you need to make sure whether the issue is simply just your neighbor or you causing an occasional annoyance or if it is something that is seriously interfering with your quality of life. If it’s the former situation, then it’s best not to rock the boat. Take some time to wrap your head around it so you can determine how much of an issue you have.

Sometimes it is obvious right away that this is not a one-time thing, for instance, if your neighbor smokes cigarettes on their balcony and the smell is wafting into your apartment. However, something like loud noises from a party that disturb your peaceful night can be ignored as a one-off issue. Be sure your reasons are merited before taking it up with your neighbor.

Don’t Forget To Document The Issue

Sometimes the opposite party might be unaware that their behavior is causing an issue for other people. For instance, your neighbor may not know that their TV is often set on a loud volume and you can hear it or that their kids are stomping and it reverberates loudly into the apartment below. Documenting the issue can help you illustrate your point effectively.

Track their offending behavior for a week or two, noting patterns like time and duration. You don’t have to bring up the log the first time you address the issue. Nevertheless, it can come in handy if they try to dispute the facts. Also, add any conversation you and your neighbor have on the issue to your log, such as when and what was discussed.

Seek Help From A Third Party

Not all conflicts with neighbors can be solved without assistance from external parties. Sometimes you have to bring in a third party – such as another neighbor or your landlord – to settle the dispute. This usually happens when you have discussed the issue with your neighbor and they are not amenable to a settlement or finding a solution. This is especially true if your neighbor retaliates by doubling down on their problematic behavior.

You can also seek help from your homeowners’ association mediation board or an outside mediator. Don’t go straight to the police or a lawyer unless absolutely necessary as in the case of a safety concern. If you don’t want to involve your homeowners’ association or lawyer in the situation, we recommend researching a local mediation service.

Mediation services can help you manage the conflict from an objective standpoint. They facilitate communication between the two parties and act as a neutral liaison. You can schedule a date and location for a consultation. They will send a third-party mediator to sit down with you and your neighbor with the goal of reaching a compromise.

About Mediation Services

Do you want to reach out to a safer and more reliable option to settle your conflicts? Call Mediation Services to have your family, neighborhood, or workplace conflicts resolved by our professionals. Our online workshops and on-site training can resolve your issues without the emotional stress.