What understanding did you think you had when you originally got together?

What important understanding did you think you had when you originally got involved together?

What important understanding did you think you had when you originally got involved together? The resolution of a dispute does not just occur on the day of the mediation. Each participant to mediation needs to prepare their own strategy for negotiation in the settlement. Based on my experience as a mediator, these are a collection of tasks each participant needs to complete and to discuss with their council and the mediator before the mediation.

What important understanding did you think you had when you originally got involved together? This is the understanding from at least from your own point of view. These can include working conditions, responsibilities, which one was to make the final decisions, time, money, rights, duties and working conditions.

You developed or already had a relationship with the other party. At some point it was a good relationship. Why did you think it was a good relationship?

This is obviously important if the subject matter of the dispute is commercial. In other words it is based on a contract, lease, employment, insurance, agreement to buy, etc. It is still important even if the dispute is not based upon contract. For example it could be based on a family relationship. It even goes beyond that to personal injury and intellectual property disputes. For example, when you enter a grocery store, it is usually your understanding that you will not slip on a banana peal. Likewise, when you create something, you expect to receive credit for the creation.

Therefore, it is always important to understand your expectations at the beginning. Without that understanding, it will be difficult to create a solution that is satisfying.

About the Author: Ken Strongman (www.kpstrongman.com) has years of experience and a growing national reputation as a mediator and arbitrator. He has successfully resolved more than a thousand disputes in the fields of construction defects, real estate, intellectual property, and employment. He is also a Mediator and Arbitrator for FINRA.