I was just reading an interesting article about mediation, and it explored something that I think most mediators would agree is essential to being impartial and unbiased: The ability to acknowledge there may be more than one "truth."Every time I watch a 24 hour news channel, it seems one pundit or another is discussing his or her own opinion, and I carefully watch the anchor. Does he or she seem to agree with one side over the other? Does he or she give more air-time to one side?

As a former T.V. News reporter, I was trained to be unbiased and give both sides equal time. But, I'll admit that, often, I secretly agreed with one side over the other.

Because my opinion never made it into the story, I realized there was little harm in me having my secret opinion. But, a mediator who believes one truth over the other may bring that bias into the agreement, sometimes without even realizing it.

It's the wise mediator who can understands that there may be more than one "truth" out there--and it's O.K. to respect all of them.

Britt