A recent online newspaper article contained this line: “[T]he case has been ordered to be decided by a mediator.” It’s a basic point and central to the the mediation concept and process: mediators don’t decide cases. Still, it’s not always understood, as so clearly shown in the article.
I occasionally meet people who respond to hearing that I am a mediator with the comment: “Wow, it must be great to tell people what to do.” I explain that I will do many things to help parties reach a resolution of their dispute (or to prevent disputes or help them change their approach to conflict from destructive to constructive.) But a mediator does not decide a case — the parties do.
