MEDIATION GUIDELINES
1. Be fair but firm.
2. Maintain control through appropriate use of body language, hand gestures,
and tone of voice.
3. Talk to both disputants at the same time.
4. Remove desks and chairs. Arrange furniture to facilitate conversation.
5. Ask disputants to talk to you, not to each other.
6. Be absolutely impartial.
7. Don't respond to disputant's questions about your opinions, perceptions, or
reactions.
8. Ask disputants to take turns telling you their story.
9. Listen actively.
10.Focus on the dispute. Focus on a single dispute. Focus on the current dispute.
11.Ask for specific and objective facts. Discourage inferences and evaluations.
12.Encourage appropriate sharing of feelings.
13.Neutralize provocative language.
14.Repeat statements to require clarification.
15.Avoid closed questions and leading questions.
16.Ask questions that begin with what, when, where, who, in what way,
and how? Never ask questions that begin with why.
17.Don't make suggestions.