I had the opportunity to hear Joseph ‘Josh’ Stulberg speak at a mediation conference that he was also speaking at this spring. I bought “The Middle Voice: Successful Conflict Mediation” by Joseph B. Stulberg and Lela P. Love at the conference, and now after reading it, I’m glad I did. It is a very good book on the basic mediation process and the skills needed to mediate conflicts and find a solution. The book is appropriate for those who mediate professionally or for community dispute centers, as well as those who have to mediate conflicts at work, family, or in the community.
The first two chapters address some basic concepts related to conflict, such as who can use mediation skills, intervention models, and conflict patterns. Chapter four goes into detail about being a mediator and what it entails.
Then come the chapters that actually guide the reader through the mediation process. Chapter five discusses the things a mediator must do even before mediation begins. This chapter addresses discussion of the parties, resources, issues, process options, rules of conduct, time frame, and outcomes as it relates to even setting a date for the mediation session.
The second part of the book, beginning with chapter six, covers what the authors call BADGER. This is the model they use to describe the components of the mediator’s role during the process. The six components are: Start Discussions, Gather Information, Develop Discussion Strategy, Build Movement, Choose Breakout Sessions, and Reach Closure. Each of these components is very well described in the separate chapters, and there are many examples to help the reader understand, as well as practical advice to help the mediator in these phases of mediation.
The third part of the book focuses on the lessons of experience with a chapter on practical challenges and ethical dilemmas and a brief conclusion. The book also contains some recommended reading and model standards of conduct for mediators.
I really liked the book. It’s not as long as some of my mediation texts, but I found it easy to read and practical. It is good for anyone who wants to study the mediation process and become a better mediator. I would have liked to have seen the part of the book on the lessons of experience be a little longer and more in-depth, but the questions and answers that were presented were good advice and got you thinking about an important aspect of mediation that you may face when trying to be the middle voice of the conflict.
It is a concise guide to mediation that covers the basics, but as I teach my students, the basics are the most important skills to master, because they are what everything else is built on. Obviously, people new to mediation will get more out of this book than experienced mediators, but I still think it’s good for those of us with experience to read basic texts as well. I found it to be a good resource for some of the mediation teachings I do.
Without hesitation, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand the mediation process and hone their mediation skills.