MII Certified Mediation Training for Leaders, Managers and HR Managers
Become an Accredited Professional Mediator
Wish you had mediation skills or a mediator certification?
Managing people isn’t easy. Everyone is different. They have differing points of view.
What suits one doesn’t work for the other. What motivates one, is a problem for another.
Whether it’s furrowed brows, sighing, eyes-to-heaven in a meeting, to having to calm down angry outbursts and get people to see some sense, your people-skills are stretched to breaking point at times.
And it’s frustrating, tiring, stressful.
You want to get things done. You want to be able to make and implement decisions. But working collaboratively and bringing people on board is also important to you. You don’t just want lip-service and surface compliance and nodding dogs. But neither do you want to have to argue every single point and deal with constant resistance.
Mediation training can arm you, not just with the skillset, but with the mindset and grounding you need, to resolve conflict with ease and confidence.
Watch our FREE webinar ‘Introduction to Mediation Skills and Training’ and download slideshow here
You will learn about:
– Mediation: definition and key principles
– Role of the Mediator
– Mediation Process
– Mediator “Presence”
– The “Conflict Iceberg” and 3 key mediation skills
– Features/Benefits of Mediation
– Professional mediation training – overview and certification
– Practicing as a Mediator
Transform Your Negotiating and Influencing Skills with
Certified Mediation Training (MII Approved)
“…leaders who are Mediators will outperform…because they know how to build partnerships and alliances that are the key to enduring success…”
(Mark Gerzon, 2006: Leading Through Conflict: How Successful Leaders Transform Differences into Opportunities)
This course teaches you the skills of professional mediation
Most importantly…you learn how to tackle conflict head-on, so you help people shift from defensive positions to workable solutions
This mediation training course runs for 6 full days followed by a one-day videoed role-play assessment, to enable you to become a Certified Mediator. The programme is approved and accredited by the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland.
(Click to skip to our Frequently Asked Questions for more details)
We spend over 75% of the time on role-play skills practice, with maximum 8 participants to one trainer.
You will have individual coaching and mentoring on your development as a mediator throughout.
We also give you 4-5 hours of preparatory e-Learning Modules to be completed before you start the in-classroom training.
Click here to read what programme graduates have to say they found most useful in this course
“Mary was a fantastic trainer with a huge knowledge and a wealth of hands-on experience.
Role plays were a core part of the training and I got individual coaching and mentoring following each role play.
I would highly recommend this course, I gained valuable skills that I can use in both my professional and personal life“.
“When starting the course I was concerned that I would be unable to resist “jumping in” or “trying to direct” as this is what is expected in my professional life. However, with time, it became natural to actively listen to what was being said and began to recognise the person’s “interest” behind their stated position.
The small number in the class facilitated engagement and learning – no question was dismissed or considered unimportant. The course was intense, but the support given by Mary meant that while the bar was set high, it was always possible to succeed in the task set.
Since the course ended, I find I am listening better in all situations and am conscious that people can find their best solutions and work out problems and I have been slower to offer solutions giving people every opportunity to explore their own ideas in full.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this training, and particularly our Tutor, Mary Rafferty, to anyone who is considering training to be a Mediator, it is a great launching-pad!”
“I would highly recommend this training course provided by Consensus Mediation. It was structured extremely well and was engaging from the beginning to the end. Coming into the course, my background and experience was in the area of adversarial disputes and procedures. The mediation programme taught me a whole range of new skills in a process (i.e. mediation) that is markedly different from the adversarial system that I am used to: facilitating the parties to come to amicably agreeable solutions, engaging with parties in a facilitative manner, asking effective and appropriate questions and exploring issues in a targeted and appropriate way.
One of the most prominent skills that I learned was the ability to refrain from imposing my own beliefs or judgment on a particular matter, but rather act in an entirely objective and facilitative way. It was particularly interesting how engaging the classes were with all of the members of the class practicing and learning together and each learning from one another’s mistakes as we became more familiar with the process of mediation, and the do’s and don’t’s.“.
“After 35 years, I thought I’d got all the courses; this mediation training course has had a huge impact on me.
As a Senior Business Partner in HR after being a line manager for 35 years, my inherited tendency was to “solutionise”. This course with Mary Rafferty showed us how to get to get to heart of problems by using the mediation process.
Others have noticed and so have I – subtle but necessary changes.
I would recommend this programme to any manager – in the line or not. It will arm you with tools where staff will see your targets as theirs and it will extend the range of your success”.
“The mediation training was very educational and it was also a very enjoyable experience. Mary is very professional in her approach and the venue, delivery of the training and the materials provided are excellent. Mary provides brilliant support and encouragement throughout the training and there is also a lovely mix of humour. Some of the learning throughout the training involves learning about the process of mediation, styles of managing conflict and it provides a lens to view conflict in a very different light. There are a significant amount role plays which provides an excellent opportunity to practice the skills, enhance learning and an opportunity to learn from others on the training. This training equips you with valuable life skills and I would definitely recommend it.”
“I attended the Mediation Training and my primary motivation was to improve my mediation and dispute resolution capabilities in work. I found the course to be extremely helpful in developing these skills and have already used them to good effect in both work and non-work environments.
What I really liked about the course was the use of role play to ensure that learning was ingrained.
Mary’s considered style and thoughtful questions really made me think about how I approached problem solving. I have become much more effective at delegating and helping parties to come up with their own solutions to problems rather than always believing that I needed to do this.
I would strongly recommend this course, and Mary as teacher, to anyone wishing to develop problem solving and mediation skills that will help them in their work and personal life.”
“Mary is an outstanding facilitator who modelled excellent mediation skills throughout the course. She responded thoughtfully and comprehensively to participants’ questions. She encouraged and challenged everyone to learn“.
Why take this Mediation Training Course?
- The course structure – 3 x 2-day modules, is spread over a 5/6-week period – allows time, to digest what you’ve learned and keep up with the written course work
- You’ll get hours of practical skills-based role play training where you get to hone your skills as a mediator, in a relaxed and fun learning environment
- You will also receive individualised, ongoing feedback and mentoring as well as a video of yourself mediating (the good, the bad and the ugly…) so you can appreciate your own progress
- The written work supports you to understand the legal and regulatory aspects of mediation (so you follow ‘best practice’)
- The reflective learning journal you will have to keep throughout the programme, helps integrate and consolidate your learning (without having to work too hard!)
- You’ll have access to a bank of resource materials – from handy templates you can use with clients (‘Sample Agreements to Mediate’, ‘Preparing for Mediation Worksheets’), to academic papers which give you in-depth background knowledge on mediation and its application
“From day one, the course builds knowledge of a process that helps to get beyond the point where both parties are dug in to a position, teaches you how to uncover the issues and concerns of both parties, and gives you the tools to help both parties to get to a point where they can find common ground and reach an agreement that is acceptable to them both. That is the process of mediation and it is very powerful.
The process reinforced using role plays that were as close to reality as you can get without being in an actual situation.
Mary is an excellent trainer who was very patient and encouraging and kept things moving along at just the right pace. I learned a lot of things that I will use, not just in mediation, but in everyday life.”
“I found the course to be very beneficial, I have completed a number of conflict resolution courses but this course taught me the benefits of listening and allowing people time to work through their issues and hear themselves. I enjoyed the theory but the role plays allowed for real life situations and the roadblocks you can encounter during a dispute.
I would highly recommend this course and have done“
About Your Trainer: Mary Rafferty
I am Mary Rafferty and will be your tutor for throughout the entire 6 days of the mediation training programme, so you will have consistent support and follow-up as you progress through the course.
My 12 years of mediation experience is drawn mainly from a Workplace and Organisational context. I have has also worked with Separating Couples in a volunteer mediation service in Cavan since 2009.
So navigating the delicate and fragile dynamics of relational conflict has been a key focus of my practice.
Mediation is more than just a clever set of tools and techniques. Yes, you can learn process, you can drill skills, you can memorize theories. But more important than all this, is your own personal and professional grounding when you are working with people trapped in the emotional quagmire of conflict: how you see yourself, your role, your intentions towards and beliefs you have about the parties.
For me, mediation at it’s core is about curiosity and connection:
- How can I stay open and truly non-judgemental?
- How do I listen and stay present so I can fully appreciate each person in front of me?
- How can I see beyond people’s hurt, anger and insecure thinking and instead tap into their innate wisdom, so they can access their own resilience and resourcefulness?
- How can I build trust and rapport with each person in the process so they are able to let down their guard and engage fully in the process?
What I’ve seen, is that mediation is much more than turning up and doing ‘rapport’ or ‘trying to make the parties compromise and be ‘reasonable’. It’s certainly never about covertly leading them to some solution that I’ve dreamed up.
Instead, it’s about creating a space where people can step out of the chaos of conflict, take stock and regain their equilibrium. Then from a more centred and composed state of mind, they are better able to make healthy and commonsense decisions, in their own best interests.
You can download more information here about my qualifications, experience and background.
You can also download my free eBook:
8 STEPS TO ‘WINNING CONVERSATIONS’ FOR LEADERS AND MANAGERS
“Mary was a totally professional facilitator. She was a talented teacher, engaging, supportive, encouraging and light-hearted while at the same time ensuring that each individual developed as a competent mediator. Her attention to detail and to each individual was extremely impressive. She just made it all so easy, we hardly knew we were being challenged. I can recommend this programme and Mary as facilitator in the very highest terms and without reservation to all aspiring mediators.”
“Mary’s style of delivery was intelligent, professional with a lovely dash of humour, I would recommend this course wholeheartedly. All was excellent, informative and thoroughly enjoyable”.
“The patience displayed and encouragement continually offered throughout was most welcome as was clearly the course content so well delivered. It will be of huge value to me in my legal work. Many thanks again-a really informative, beneficial and interesting 6 days“
Where, When and other FAQ’s
Mediation Training Dates: Spring 2021
Training:
Classroom/in-person: Jan 14th/15th, Feb 4th/5th, Feb 25th/26th (All Thursdays and Fridays), 9.30am to 5.30pm each day.
Online webinars: Fri 29th January and Fri 19th Feb – 9.30am-11.30am each day
Assessment: March 2nd/3rd (You only need to attend one of those dates)
Venue: Glen Royal Hotel, Maynooth, Co Kildare
Investment: €1950 (includes €250 MII Certified Level Assessment fee)
Early bird rate: €1850 if paid in full by Friday 11th December, 2020
(Part-funding may be available if you are employed in the private/commercial semi-state sector or are self-employed. Email me on mary@consensusmediation.ie to find out more)
Will I be able to practice as a Mediator when I’ve completed this course?
Upon successful completion of this mediation training programme, and the assessment role play, you can register with the Mediators Institute Ireland (MII) and apply for a practising certificate and be approved to mediate, within your competency level, by the MII.
You will also have to sign up to the MII Code of Ethics and Practice and hold professional indemnity insurance.
What about practicing as a Mediator working with Separating Couples?
If you wish to practice in the area of Separating Couples, you are required to participate an additional 32-hour training module. Details and dates about providers of this programme are available on the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland website – click on this link here for more details.
Do I have to attend all of the training days?
Yes, because the programme is so intensive and the in-classroom time is so short, in order to achieve your qualifications, you must attend all 6 days of the training.
Is there any out-of-class written work or ‘homework’?
Yes…we want to give you great value for your time and money…!
- Prior to course commencement, you will receive access to an e-Learning Module that will take 4-5 hours to complete. You need to complete this before Day 1 of the in-classroom training day.
- During the course you will have further tasks/e-Learning modules (4-5 hours) to complete.
- You must also complete a Written Assignment which consists of reflections from your learning journal as well as critique and reflections on your role play experience and what you have learned about conflict resolution and mediation.
How does the assessment process work?
The assessment consists of you (acting as a Mediator) in a role play where 2 of your class colleagues play the disputants, for one hour.
You will be assessed by an External MII Approved Assessor, Niamh Cunningham.
Your role play will be videoed and you will receive a copy of the video so you can do a written reflection afterwards and forward to the Assessor. This will also form part of your assessment.
See a full overview of the Assessment process here
Who should or could attend this mediation training?
Participants can range from Line Managers, Senior Managers, HR Managers, School Principals to Solicitors, Coaches, Counsellors, Social Workers…or indeed anyone who has an interest in understanding the dynamics and skills of conflict resolution.
The only pre-requisite to attend is proficiency in spoken English (so you can participate effectively in the videoed role play assessment).
Can you provide this training in-house for our HR team/team of Managers?
Absolutely…I have trained teams of managers/HR managers who say it has completely changed their whole approach to the people-management aspect of their job.
And, research is showing the critical role that a mediation ‘mindset’ (skills and attitudes that seek to resolve and rebuild rather than apportion blame or sanction) can have, in reducing and minimising the level of destructive conflict in organisations.