Some days you are asked to step out of your comfort zone; some days you're shoved out of it

Successfully survived my three day intensive Mediation class. A lot of work, a lot of learning and a whole lot of being shoved out of your comfort zone. I've played the role of peacemaker before, but not in any sort of official role. I have never liked conflict and usually felt like it was my job to try to resolve that. Mediation and mediation advocacy (representing someone in a mediation) was both familiar and different. Being a mediator is less about solving the problem and more about making it possible for the parties involved to solve the problem. That is a hard lesson to learn. And it is very difficult to rise above the fray in intense and emotional settings. We may have been in a class setting, but folks can get very into their roles and that can be overwhelming at times. Particularly when you have health issues and the class days are very long. I found my balance by the second day at lunch (after mediating my first simulation that morning--a divorce). I didn't have a good idea of what I was doing that morning, but was much more confident by the afternoon. Nothing like a steep learning curve.( Read more... )