Conflict Mediation and Facilitation Services
Services Overview
At New Table, we bring people together to resolve conflict, navigate disagreement, find common ground and negotiate fruitful forward trajectories. Different scenarios and circumstances suggest different approaches. Our expertise is in leadership of the following strategies:
Facilitated Dialogue
Facilitated dialogue is a compelling technique for co-workers in an organization – no matter the authority or hierarchy structure. This approach realizes the skills to infuse working relationships with honesty, mutual accountability, and strength; it is suited for those who expect to continue to have a long-term working relationship. Our role as the facilitator is to actualize movement and understanding in issues of mutual importance and concern. We will help you to reduce communication barriers so that each person in the group can share their perspective in an open yet empathic way. This kind of dialogue does not rely upon coming to full agreement, but allows the parties involved to reset their relationship in an important way – crucially, with hope about the path forward.
Our Experience:
We’ve done this work in both non-profit and corporate settings. It works with dyads and small groups – up to 25 or so. We’ve worked with C-suite colleagues, academicians and university faculty teams, research scientists, educators, administrative and operations employees – so many various professional and interpersonal configurations. We are happy to discuss if your group or team is a good fit for our offerings.
Restorative Dialogue
Restorative dialogues are always fraught; they are often related to and exacerbated by larger societal or organizational issues. Individuals and groups often define themselves as – or are defined in the dynamic as – ‘others.’ Conflicts surrounding race, gender, class, harassment are often well served by a robust restorative process. We’ve found that restorative dialogues are necessary – but not sufficient – solutions to complications. Post-dialogue coaching for some or all the parties involved can be an important augmentation to this process. We are here for it all.
Our Experience:
We’ll be honest - situations that lend themselves to restorative dialogues are not easy. They are often related to larger societal or organizational issues. Issues surrounding ‘others’ - race, gender, harassment - lend themselves well to a restorative process. We’ve found that restorative dialogues are often necessary, but not sufficient, solutions to problems. Post-dialogue coaching of some or all the parties involved can be an important addition to this process.
Mediation
The needs, rights, and interests of both parties will be our highest priority as we take you through our structured and interactive mediation process. Our goal is to help the parties find a solution that they can live with – and for those in long-term relationships – to ensure that accountability mechanisms are in place moving forward. As the mediator, we have no authority to make a decision. Our job is to guide the parties toward meaningful and substantive solutions that will work for all parties involved. Mediation is an empowering choice – it is more economical, more relational, more peaceful, and more nimble than arbitration or litigation.
Our Experience:
Mediation is an area of specialty and fulfillment for us at New Table. While we are happy to mediate with parties in a wide variety of circumstances, we are most passionate about working with those who are in ongoing, longer term professional or personal relationship. For example, we have established an expertise in helping religious institutions with issues that may come up around clergy relationships – within the professional or clergy team, with the lay leaders and/or board – with the congregation. We also specialize in mediating conflicts that occur in the K-12 or higher education settings. Post-mediation coaching can be extremely beneficial in making sure that the agreement is implemented with fidelity and integrity.
