Mediator Mediates Dispute Between Two Other Mediators, Requires Third Mediator

A professional dispute between two certified mediators over the correct mediation technique for a workplace conflict has itself required mediation, and the mediator brought in to resolve the dispute has now requested a fourth mediator to address disagreements that arose during the meta-mediation.

'I was hired to mediate a dispute between two departments,' said mediator Sandra Neutral. 'My co-mediator, Dr. Bernard Balanced, disagreed with my approach. I suggested facilitative mediation. He insisted on evaluative mediation. We couldn't agree, so we brought in a third mediator to help us.'

The third mediator, Claudia Resolution, attempted to help Neutral and Balanced reach consensus on their mediation approach. However, within thirty minutes, Resolution found herself in conflict with Balanced over 'whether the meta-mediation itself should be facilitative or evaluative,' a question that produced what she described as 'infinite regress with professional credentials.'

'I'm a transformative mediator,' Resolution said. 'I believe the parties need to transform their relationship before they can resolve the content dispute. Bernard said that was impractical. Sandra said it was ideal but slow. I said the speed was part of the transformation. Bernard rolled his eyes. That's when I called for a fourth mediator.'

The fourth mediator, Harold Middle, arrived to find three professional conflict resolvers unable to resolve their conflict about how to resolve conflict.

'This is the most meta situation I have ever encountered,' Middle said. 'I have four mediators in a room. The original workplace dispute has been entirely forgotten. We are now mediating a dispute about mediation between mediators. I don't even know what role I serve here.'

The original workplace conflict — a disagreement between two employees about break room refrigerator protocol — was eventually resolved by the employees themselves, who worked it out over lunch while the four mediators continued arguing in a conference room down the hall.