Giving and Receiving Feedback After the Role Play

1. Opportunity for mediator to mourn and celebrate their needs met and unmet, what liked and didn't like about the mediation.

2. Disputants and Observers share ONLY what DID work for you about what the mediator did: disputants share with mediator specific feedback about what worked for you that the mediator said or did, places where the mediator contributed to connection in yourself, with the other disputant, and/or with the mediator.

Use the form:

  • Observations: what specifically the mediator said or did
  • Feelings: how do/did you feel in relation to mediator's choices/actions
  • Needs: any other needs met, in addition to connection

Observers: TAKE NOTES while the mediation is happening, focusing on what like that the mediator does as much as what did not meet your needs.

3. Coach offers to mediator what seemed to work and what did not seem as connecting or other options and choices to consider. Try to use at least a 3:1 ratio of needs met to needs not met feedback.

4. Feedback from Disputants/Observers about what did NOT meet needs for connection by what the mediator said or did: opportunity for mediator to request feedback from Disputants, Coach, and Observer(s) about what did NOT meet their needs.

  • How do you want the feedback to be given? Make specific requests.
  • What do you want feedback on? You can ask your disputants about certain moments and things you said and did and ask for feedback about this.
  • Mediator can give feedback to the coach, observer(s) and disputants about how they gave feedback. When you heard them say particular things, how do you feel and what needs did it meet or not.