In the summer 2008 issue of the New England Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution newsletter, NE-ACR News, the first article presents a sampling of the responses received when the editors asked ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) practitioners to describe their definition of “success” in mediation and a case that illustrates that definition.
Mediators approached the idea from different directions, but a common theme seems to appear. Whether a mediation is successful involves more than whether a settlement or agreement is reached and how quickly that is achieved, if achieved at all.
In some cases, the opportunity to go through the process of mediation was the most important part of the experience. Some parties felt for the first time that their concerns were genuinely heard and respected. Regardless of the outcome, they felt the process itself was worthwhile and successful.
