What is Mediation?
Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process available to help you resolve workplace disputes, conflicts and issues. Trained mediators (who are neutral third parties) are accessible through several departments at the University to help individuals:
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Clarify the issues;
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Understand the other’s position;
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Generate solutions; and
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Develop a consensus that will work for both sides
Advantages of Mediation:
Mediation is often a more expedient way to resolve workplace issues than more formal avenues. Because it is voluntary and confidential, parties are often amenable to solutions that might not otherwise be available. Also, mediation builds bridges of understanding that will often help parties deal with future issues.
Common Situations:
Some common situations that can benefit from mediation:
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interpersonal conflicts between co-workers
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group conflicts between teams or departments
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disputes between a supervisor or manager and an employee
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disagreements among team members
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on-going tension that exists between a manager and a faculty or staff member
Am I a good candidate for mediation?
Mediation may be a good option for you if:
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You want to help decide the outcome.
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You want to improve your relationship with the other party.
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Both parties are willing to work toward a solution.
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Both parties are willing to listen to the other’s point of view.
Who to Contact
The University Ombuds is the Dispute Resolution Coordinator for UVA. He can assist individuals in pursuing mediation or other informal means of resolving disputes. The Ombuds can also assist Departments interested in establishing informal dispute resolution procedures. The Virginia Administrative Dispute Resolution Act (Va. Code 2.2-4115 et seq.) requires state agencies to make available dispute resolution proceedings for those persons interested in resolving disputes through informal processes.