‘The Mediator’s Toolkit: Formulating and Asking Questions for Successful Outcomes’ which incorporates The ‘S’ Questions Model
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Video Description of the book 'The Mediator’s Toolkit: Formulating and Asking Questions for Successful Outcomes'
This video introduces the book ‘The Mediator’s Toolkit: Formulating and Asking Questions for Successful Outcomes’, authored by Gerry OSullivan, New Society Publishing.
Knowing how to ask mediation questions to get to the core of a conflict, challenge entrenched positions, and shift perspectives of parties are the main challenges for mediators and the key to successful conflict resolution. This book provides readers with the skill set and tools to ask strategic mediation questions that result in successful outcomes in all mediation contexts.
https://www.osullivansolutions.ie/mediation-questions-training/
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Video Description of The ‘S’ Questions Model Mediator Training to accompany the book: ‘The Mediator’s Toolkit
This video covers the general content of the advanced mediation course on questioning skills that will support mediators in moving their mediation practice to an advanced level through asking powerful mediation questions. It describes the Zoom live online mediator training with the author, as well as the option to purchase the full mediation course video series for self-paced mediator learning.
Applicable to: Workplace Mediation; Civil and Commercial Mediation; Family Mediation; Community Mediation and International Mediation.
Learning Resource
Video Mediation Training Online: The communication context in which mediators work and disputants engage
Full 16-course on mediator training: https://www.osullivansolutions.ie/mediation-questions-training/
Mediators will learn the goal of mediation that is achieved through asking powerful mediation questions. Mediators will learn how the distortion, deletion and deficit of communicated information can hinder or block conflict solution, as well as the physiological changes that take place in parties during conflict and how this can block mediation settlement or agreement.
This training is based on the book: The Mediator’s Toolkit: Formulating and Asking Questions for Successful Outcomes https://www.osullivansolutions.ie/who-i-am/my-book/
Learning Resource
Video Mediation Training Online: Four components of the ‘S’ Questions Model from: The Mediator's Toolkit...
This video introduces the four dimensions of the ‘S’ Questions Model:
S1: Subject Matter Dimension
S2: Structure Dimension
S3: Seeking Information Dimension
S4: Shift Thinking Dimension
It outlines the key hazard warnings for asking the S4: Shift Thinking Dimension Questions.
Information on full mediation training course: https://www.osullivansolutions.ie/mediation-questions-training/
Demonstration Mediations
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Mediation Demonstration: Correct and Incorrect Practice
The brief was to demonstrate a mediation process where mistakes in practice will be made and where members of the audience are invited to comment on screen or verbally.
This is a demonstration roleplay with Gerry O’Sullivan from The Mediator’s Institute of Ireland’s annual conference in October 2023.
In this demonstration, Gerry deviates from the conventional mediation framework and does not hear the full narratives of participants at this joint session, then moving to listing their issues and going through them one by one.
Instead, she concentrates on their thinking and the inferences and assumptions they made at the start of their developing negative view of each other.
The goal is to demonstrate how the initial inferences and assumptions of mediation participants, based on their unique paradigm, can impact their perception and interpretation of all subsequent events. When this is teased out during a mediation, it leads to mutual understanding and creates the context whereby remaining issues are solved more easily.
Learning Resource
Demonstration Mediation: Getting to Underlying Interests. Full version
Film Case Scenario is below.
Getting to Underlying Interests: a filmed roleplay demonstrating the mediation skills of listening effectively, reflecting back what is heard and then asking simple questions to get to the core of a conflict and the underlying interests and needs of parties in a commercial business partnership dispute.
Get online mediation training on Getting to Underlying Interests from the mediator in this film, Gerry O’Sullivan, O’Sullivan Solutions: https://www.osullivansolutions.ie/mediation-questions-training/
Case Scenario:
Pat and Joe own a chain of fast-food cafes and are in the process of expanding the business. The last contract Joe was working on fell through and Pat was very angry with Joe about it, especially because Joe was evasive about the reasons. Pat always looked over contracts before they were signed, but he had been on holidays this time.
When negotiating a subsequent contract Joe decided he would not tell Pat about it until the contract was ready for signing. However, Pat found out about this latest contract deal and is furious that Joe had not informed him about it.
There had been other issues arising in the last year and Pat feels Joe is not pulling his weight in the business. As a result, Pat is overworked and stressed and his doctor has advised him to slow down or he would have a heart attack.
Pat decides to go to his lawyer to break up the partnership. Joe was shocked when he received a letter from the company solicitor asking him to come in for a chat as Pat wished to end their partnership. Joe is also extremely worried about the future and managed to persuade Pat to try mediation.
Learning Resource
Demonstration Mediation: Getting to Underlying Interests. Short version: Sub-titled
Film Case Scenario is below.
Exercise to do while watching the video:
If you have a copy of the mediation book: The Mediators Toolkit: Formulating and Asking Questions for Successful Outcomes – refer to
https://www.osullivansolutions.ie/who-i-am/my-book/
and look at the list and description of underlying interests indicator elements. While watching the film identify the possible Underlying Interest’s elements that arose the each of the parties, either from a question asked by the mediator or from what arose organically from what a party says.
Get online training on Getting to Underlying Interests from the mediator in this film, Gerry O’Sullivan, O’Sullivan Solutions: https://www.osullivansolutions.ie/mediation-questions-training/
Getting to Underlying Interests: a filmed roleplay demonstrating the mediation skills of listening effectively, reflecting back what is heard and then asking simple questions to get to the core of a conflict and the underlying interests and needs of parties in a commercial business partnership dispute.
Case Scenario:
Pat and Joe own a chain of fast-food cafes and are in the process of expanding the business. The last contract Joe was working on fell through and Pat was very angry with Joe about it, especially because Joe was evasive about the reasons. Pat always looked over contracts before they were signed, but he had been on holidays this time. When negotiating a subsequent contract Joe decided he would not tell Pat about it until the contract was ready for signing. However, Pat found out about this latest contract deal and is furious that Joe had not informed him about it. There had been other issues arising in the last year and Pat feels Joe is not pulling his weight in the business. As a result, Pat is overworked and stressed and his doctor has advised him to slow down or he would have a heart attack. Pat decides to go to his lawyer to break up the partnership. Joe was shocked when he received a letter from the company solicitor asking him to come in for a chat as Pat wished to end their partnership. Joe is also extremely worried about the future and managed to persuade Pat to try mediation.
Learning Resource
Video: 'Will Work For Food' (WWF) interview by Natalie Armstrong-Motin + Journey of Inference Questions video
This short interview and mediation training covers the theory of the ‘S’ Questions Model as developed in Gerry O’Sullivan’s mediation book: The Mediators Toolkit: Formulating and Asking Questions for Successful Outcomes.
Agenda
a) ‘Journey of Inference Questions are a template of questions that serve to make an unconscious thought process conscious: moving from observations, to interpretations, to assumptions, to conclusions, to actions and beliefs. The learning in this mediator training film covers the theory and then the application of the mediation learning as demonstrated by a filmed mediation training video.
b) Gerry then demonstrates the S’ Questions Model’s S4 Shift Thinking: ‘Other People Questions’ and how these mediation questions gently open the narrative and perspective of a mediation party who has made an incorrect Journey of Inference. This helps to shift their perspective and thinking.
The result from learning this mediation skill set takes a mediator to an improved level of professional mediation practice.
Interviews with Gerry about mediation by International Organisations
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Video 'Idle Chat’ Interview American Bar association - Dispute Resolution
This interview is one in a series from ‘Idle Chat’ for the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution. The interviewer is Natalie Armstrong-Motin.
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Presentation to ACT Conflict Resolution, Jerusalem
- a) General discussion regarding the writing of the book ‘The Mediator’s Toolkit: Formulating and Asking Questions for Successful Outcomes’ from 00.00 to 11.00 mins
- b) Conversation with Mohammad Hadieh, ACT on the ‘S’ Questions Model, the importance of asking effective mediation questions and the context in which we, as mediators, communicate with the parties.
Learning
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Talking Books + Workshop: Mediator Vikram - Mediator's Toolkit by Gerry O'Sullivan
- a) General introduction and discussion to: 00.00 to 26 mins
- b) Presentation on the ‘Journey of Inference’ Questions starts at: 26mins.
This template pf mediation questions make an unconscious thought process conscious so that the observations, interpretations and the assumptions made by a mediation party lead to more understanding.
Learning Resource
Mediation School, Ukraine
Journey of Inference Questions’ that serve to make an unconscious thought process conscious: moving from observations, to interpretations, to assumption, to conclusions, to actions and beliefs.
Learning Resource
Mediation School, Accords International, India
This presentation covers Thought Flow Tracking anf the methodology of asking questions.
Training Testimonials
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Video Testimonials for O’Sullivan Solutions
Professional Certified Mediation training, accredited by the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland.
International Advocacy Work: Palestine
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Video: ‘Stolen Children, Stolen Lives’. Full film
Advocacy and voluntary work in the Israeli occupied Palestinian West Bank illustrating the
Israeli military arrests and abuses of Palestinian Children, the impact on the children and the impact on the Israeli soldiers.
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Video: ‘Stolen Children, Stolen Lives’ Part 1
Advocacy and voluntary work in the Israeli occupied Palestinian West Bank illustrating the
Israeli military arrests and abuses of Palestinian Children, the impact on the children and the impact on the Israeli soldiers. 2011
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Video: ‘Stolen Children, Stolen Lives’ Part 2
Advocacy and voluntary work in the Israeli occupied Palestinian West Bank illustrating the
Israeli military arrests and abuses of Palestinian Children, the impact on the children and the impact on the Israeli soldiers. 2011
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Video Presentation by Gerry OSullivan and Joe O’Brien to the Irish Government’s Joint-Committee on European Affairs
On the Israeli military arrests and abuses of Palestinian Children. 2011