Challenge 1.3 Conflict Resolution

As the mediation session between Tony and Diana continued, Diana said, "I think at first the conflict for me was really about the playground itself— whether parking was more important than having a place for kids to play. But now it's more about how everyone in the neighborhood treats each other. Maybe we weren't as good friends as we thought we were, if one problem like this turned us all against each other." Tony agreed, saying, "When I started talking to them about the parking issue, I realized how much the older people in the neighborhood felt left out and ignored by the younger families. They have all sorts of concerns about living here, but they never wanted to bring them up because they were feeling like it wasn't their neighborhood anymore." The mediator replied, saying, "So if I hear you right, although the conflict was brought up by the decision on the parking lot, the bigger issue for both of you

relationship-based conflict

Diana and Tony finally found a possible solution to their conflict. "What if," Diana suggested, "the younger neighbors agree to park further away or move their cars if an older neighbor needed a space?" "If that could be done," Tony said, "we wouldn't need the parking lot. But how would we ask to use the space if a car needs to be moved? And what would happen if a car couldn't be moved for some reason?" Diana thought about this and said, "Well, we'd have to get a phone number list of people who'd be willing to move their cars to any of the people who would need the spaces, and we'd have to have a way to let people know when some spaces couldn't be opened. Maybe the neighborhood improvement group would be willing to keep a log or set up a phone tree to help manage parking in the neighborhood. That way, we'd only have to make one call to know what the parking situation is and who needs what." Tony added, "I think

Identity

Tony and Diana found it easier and easier to talk with one another in their mediation session, but they struggled to come up with ways of finding additional places for older residents of their neighborhood to park without using the playground space. At one point, Tony asked the mediator, "Well, you seem pretty smart— you got us to sit down and talk together, and that wasn't easy. What do YOU think we could do?" Ava replied, "Thanks for the compliment, Tony, but I'm really not able to give you my opinion in a mediation like this. I'm not really familiar with all of the different issues that my suggestions might raise. My job here is just to help you two find a way of solving the problem yourselves. Some kinds of mediation include suggestions from the mediator, but that's not what I think will work best here." Select the true statement about the different types of mediation.

In transformative mediation, the focus is on changing the relationship between the parties.

Tony and Diana agreed to work with their neighborhood improvement group and develop a "parking exchange," to be sure that older people in their neighborhood could park as close as possible to their homes. They also agreed to meet with the mediator, Ava, again after a month of operating the exchange to resolve any problems that might arise from this plan. Tony and Diana's agreements on the "parking exchange" and a follow-up meeting are an example of __________.

A Resolution

Tony and Diana represented two different groups in their neighborhood in a mediation session. The neighborhood was in conflict over whether or not to tear down a local playground to build a parking lot. Tony's group supported building the parking lot; Diana's group wanted to keep the playground. At the beginning of the mediation session, Tony said to Ava, the mediator, "Look, I understand that Diana wants to keep the playground. But there is no way I'm walking out of here with anything less than my parking lot!" "I understand how you feel, Tony," Ava replied. "But the goal of the mediation is to find a solution that meets everyone's needs fully." Select the true statement.

Ava wants the parties to use the collaborating conflict style.

As Diana and Tony began their mediation, the mediator, Ava, explained, "The objective of the session is to find a solution to the conflict that will meet the needs of both sides." Diana replied, "I'm not sure that's possible. There's only one piece of land, and it's not going to get any bigger. How can we do anything other than choose to use it one way or another?" "Well," said Ava, "we're going to look at the situation a little differently. Instead of saying, 'How do we use the land?' we're going to say, 'How can we find a way to improve parking and still keep a place for kids to play?' Then we're going to work together to find a practical answer to that question." Ava described a conflict resolution style called __________.

Collaborating

As Tony and Diana's mediation session went on, Tony said that he was surprised to become comfortable talking with Diana again so quickly. Diana said that she felt the same way. "What do you think made it easier to talk comfortably again?" asked Ava, the mediator. Diana thought for a moment and then said, "I think it was the point when we both realized that, as much as I want to keep the playground and Tony wants more parking, the other person's goal was important too. And our relationships with the neighbors matter. All of us want kids to have a place to play AND want seniors to be able to park close to home." Ava nodded and said, "So the way you're approaching the situation has changed?" Diana and Tony agreed. The way a party approaches a conflict is called a conflict style. Select the statement that accurately describes the collaborating conflict style.

Parties that use this style have a high interest in meeting their own needs, as well as a high interest in meeting the other party's needs.

As the mediation session between Tony and Diana continued, Diana asked Tony, "Do you really think that the older people in the neighborhood need to park right where the playground is?" Tony replied, "No. It doesn't have to be right there at all, but we DO need more parking spaces in the neighborhood, closer to our houses." Ava, the mediator, said, "So if there was a way to find the seniors more parking closer to their homes without pulling down the playground, both sides would be satisfied, right?" Tony and Diana agreed. By addressing what Tony and Diana both said they need, the mediator is using which approach to resolve their conflict?

Relationship-based theory

Tony and Diana agreed that they felt better about their relationship. They felt the two sides in the neighborhood dispute would also feel better about each other if a creative win-win solution could be found.Ava, the mediator, explained, "Now it's your task to think of ways to meet both sides' needs. Why don't you work together to generate as many ideas as possible that might meet one side or the other's needs, pick the best ones, and then find a way to combine them?" Diana said, "It's kind of like putting together a puzzle, isn't it?" Ava nodded. "Or look at it like you're teammates in a game." From the perspective of game theory, select the statement that best describes the task Tony and Diana are now taking on.

Tony and Diana are engaging in a cooperative game because they are working jointly to meet both sets of needs.