Maybe you are thinking of becoming a mediator but aren’t sure whether you could learn the skills necessary for this role. Well, perhaps we could start by considering whether you already have the skills needed to be a success. The following are some that you might have picked up in the past, no matter what careers you have followed up until now.

Listening Skills

You won’t get anywhere fast in this role if you aren’t excellent at listening. After all, if you are going to try and settle a dispute between two people then you need to understand what they each want. It could even be that they are closer to a solution than they think but that they simply haven’t listened to each other. By listening with attention you can work out quickly what the current situation is. This is a skill which some people seem to have naturally, while others have honed it in jobs such as customer service or medical roles. It might be a skill that you have never paid much attention to in the past but if you have it then you can put it to good use as a mediator.  You might not know much else about the role yet but if you can already listen well and with attention to the details then that is a great start in learning to become a mediator.

Great Analytical Skills

Of course, listening to the issues is only part of the role. Once you have heard what it is about you need to then understand what this means. For instance, it could be that the situation is extremely complex and needs to be broken down into parts. Being able to see the issues at hand with clarity and in an analytical frame of mind will let you think of possible ways forward. On the other hand, if you can’t analyse what you hear then you are going to struggle to find a resolution. There are many different types of career in which you could have learned analytical skills, whether it is in the financial industry, as a computer programmer or in solving problems of some other type for a living. Of course, you need to be able to think on your feet and carry out rapid pieces of analysis is you are going to be able to guide disputes to a happy resolution.   

Good at Building Rapport

One of the most vital parts of the mediator’s role is to build rapport with the people that they aim to help resolve disputes. Both sides need to see the mediator as a neutral, trustworthy sort of person working on their behalf. This means that you have to be open and honest, as well as letting them see that you are working hard to find a fair solution. Maybe you already have experience of running training sessions or perhaps using video conferencing equipment for meetings. In both of these cases, you will have used your rapport building skills to bring people together and build a high level of trust among those present. Many people also see the mediator’s role as being very subtle, meaning that you might want to build the rapport you need without appearing to be the person who is proposing solutions. If the participants reach an agreement and think that you were only there to break the ice and introduce everyone then you did a great job.

Determined to Find a Fair Solution

Reaching a solution that suits everyone usually isn’t easy. You might find that from the very start both sides are planning to stubbornly stick to their points of view and their demands. This makes it difficult to find a fair solution but it isn’t impossible. If you are determined to resolve the issues then it can be done. Sometimes this will come down to finding a creative solution but a strong desire to find an agreement is a big help too. These skills might already be part of your overall business experience no matter what kind of working background you have. If you are happy to let difficult situations drift away from you then this isn’t going to be a good match for your personality. However, if you have the tenacity and the determination to seek out solutions even when everyone else has given up then you already have a very important mediator skill.