Should Mediators Be In Possession Of Highly Developed Interpersonal Skills

Conflict arises in many settings, and it can be claimed that conflict itself is not a problem; it is a healthy part of life that if managed productively, it can lead to opportunities for change and growth (Fisher and Ury, 1982). Thus, if positive conflict management efforts do not occur or fail despite best efforts, the consequences can be horrendous, imperatively the skills required to manage conflict successfully are integral to manage a conflict situation effectively and efficiently. However, Billy & Stupak (1994) argue that Law enforcement professionals from seasoned veterans to recruits are rarely taught modern conflict resolution techniques. Billy & Stupak further argue that the ability to deal with a master conflict is essential to any mediator who is confronted with multiple conflict situations on a daily basis (1994). Thus, all situations involving conflict require appropriate skills, communication techniques, conflict resolution and calmness for mediators to overcome them. …show more content…
Braithwaite, Brewer and Trelan (1998) propose that whenever possible mediators can draw upon these skills peacefully to conciliate and diffuse difficult situations .A mediator should always seek to gain the cooperation of citizens through non-coercive means, then can also embrace negotiation skills and manage interactions with the public to resolve conflict before it escalates. The mediator must ultimately rely on his/her ability to communicate with members of the public and to know when to properly assert authority ,whist furthermore acknowledging when to offer sympathy or when to simply walk away (Cornelius &