Deadlock
You and your opponent opted to mediate instead of litigating. You mediated and deadlocked. Now what? Do you declare war? Surrender? Hope your opponent comes to their senses?
Conflict does not evaporate; People don’t spontaneously about-face and root for their foe, so waiting for your opponent’s change of heart is probably a profitless time waster. War, is risky and costly. Capitulation is bitter. When you fold, your goal isn’t achieved, it’s abandoned. That stings. Don’t ditch mediation when you deadlock. Skilled mediators get you past it and help parties want to settle.
Adapt.
A skilled mediator concentrates on expectations, and credibly questions them when they are farfetched. What is the worst alternative to a negotiated settlement? Examine it. What is the best result if the dispute doesn’t settle? Is it realistic? Is it affordable? Is it swift?
Sometimes, it’s personal. Not everyone is temperamentally suited to mediation. Conflicts about conflict materialize. Capable mediators forecast them and defuse them. Changing the players may break the deadlock.
Perhaps the conference table is the obstacle? It’s the dispute that matters, not the venue. Skilled mediators recognize that ingenuity is possible in non-traditional settings.
3Chairs CAN HELP YOU
Deadlock is expensive and futile. Adapt, and avoid it.
We look forward to answering your questions and helping you with your full or half-day mediation. Contact us:
3Chairs Mediation Group, Inc.
(855) 3Chairs | (855) 324-2477