Advantage mediation!
A light-hearted analogy between tennis and mediation
It was more like a ‘Grand Slap’ when Wimbledon 2020 was called off last April due to the pandemic. A year on, the excitement about the return of the much-loved Championships is huge, although it’s going to be a very different Wimbledon.
The last year has also brought about changes for mediation as many disputes were handled and resolved online rather than face to face. As we’re looking forward to the 134th edition of a socially safe Wimbledon Championships it’s also a good time to zoom in on what mediation and one of the most physically intensive sports have in common.
Battling out disagreements or disputes in court can be expensive, time-consuming, emotionally distressing and potentially as exhausting as that famous 11 hours and 5 minutes’ marathon men’s singles match at Wimbledon 2010.
Mediation offers an ace alternative to a court as it covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time, just like tennis players in a match. While umpires and mediators are both neutral, unlike their umpire counterparts, mediators proactively facilitate and lead the parties towards a sensible and practical settlement agreement.
Like players in a tennis match, at times the emotions of parties involved in a mediation can run high and turn fiery. Mediators are familiar with this and will skilfully step in to calm a situation and diffuse feelings of distrust when necessary to keep the process on track.
In tennis, there is always one winner eventually. However, with mediation both parties say what they want to say and stay in control of the outcome, the mediator does not decide the result or impose a decision. Perhaps ‘deuce’ sums up mediation because it’s not about scores or winning; the role of the mediator is to listen and get to understand the parties’ positions and underlying interests, and then gently guide and help find a solution that works and allows both parties to move on confidently, which equates to everyone holding a trophy.
If you or someone you know is involved in a dispute and would rather resolve the matter off court, then Clive Douglas Mediation will serve you well.