Mediation

Mediation is a tool, a process, and a principle approach to better understand, resolve, or even repair relations among people. It can take a formal character - in most EU countries regulated by law - and a more informal character. Its benefits are wide reaching, from avoiding lengthy and costly court cases, such as employment tribunals, to the actual opportunity to restore relations and/or open up new, innovative future joint opportunities.

For teams, mediation techniques allow deep seated change that can address past hurt, resolve festering problems that seem stuck, and potentially restore relations to an extent that a previously non-functioning team may in fact become an efficient and effective group of people with high personal well-being. 

Mediation is serious business in Belgium with a regulated qualifications and defined by law. Its core principles are neutrality, impartiality and confidentiality. It is also based on radical listening and believing in the principle of the core value and potential of every human being. A multitude of possibilities arise when we learn how to meet our most important needs and interests, receive radical empathy and listening. Conflict can become a source for innovation, renewed relations, and new energy for the work place or private life.

It is important to distinguish between formal mediation (as defined by Belgian law) and the restoring relations process offered for teams where interpersonal conflict, a lack of well-being, difficult diversity issues or past hurts are addressed and resolved.

As officially registered Mediator under Belgian law, I may offer formal mediation in the civil, commercial and employment domain, with a specialisation on conflict in the work place. Please indicate for your information talk what form of mediation you are seeking. For formal work place mediation under Belgian law, all involved parties have to agree to the choice of mediator and the mediation (principle of voluntarity), and the approach is best made by the involved lawyers together (formal work place mediation should always involve a lawyer on either side). A joint formal mediation protocol will be signed.

For the Restoring Relations process in teams (meditative facilitation) that is the main offer of Q3T, you may contact me in a role of team member, manager, or employer to discuss the opportunities for you. While the facilitator rests neutral and impartial, using mediation techniques and processes, no formal protocol under Belgian law is signed. While it is preferable that all team members actively wish to participate, they may be requested to do so by the employer who deems that, for example, a lack of communication or conflictual relations hamper the success of the team for the business or organization and require the attempt to restore relations. In formal mediation no such request is permissible as it does not comply with the legal principle of voluntarity under Belgian mediation law.

Please decide in advance in what capacity you wish to approach me.