• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Tammy Lenski

Conflict resolution for business, team, and personal relationships

  • Hello
  • Books
  • Courses
  • Archives
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

Making mediation your day job

23 August 2006 by Tammy Lenski

The following is part of my 2006-2007 blog to book project that ultimately became Making Mediation Your Day Job.

It was the first day of the new term and of my advanced-level course, Trends and Issues in the Field. I asked my graduate mediation students to work in small groups and answer this challenge:

Imagine that you have decided to create a private ADR practice. On what marketplace trends would you capitalize? Where would you primarily focus to bring in clients?

The small groups took their markers and flipcharts and disappeared for half an hour. As I paused periodically at the doors of the breakout rooms in which they worked, I could see earnest and diligent conversation unfolding, words appearing on paper. This was a smart group of adult students who came back to school after successful careers in other arenas.

The small groups returned and hung their lists on walls around the room. I skimmed through the posters. Surprise made me do so again. And I had one of those moments of disquieting clarity.

Every single group listed only court-, government- and community-associated ADR programs and projects, like these examples from my notes that day:

Try to get on the postal service roster.

Contact the courts in our state to find out what mediation panels are recruiting new mediators.

Contact our state’s child welfare agencies about child guardianship and permanency adoption programs.

Call local community mediation center and volunteer in order to build my portfolio.

Their lists, collectively, included many more such options. They had produced a thorough and exhaustive list of the kinds of formal programs and opportunities that now exist in many states.

The hole in those lists was apparent only to me. And it seemed a glaring hole indeed. As the students discussed their lists, I jotted down several notes to myself. This is what I wrote:

Whoa! Only court, community and government programs. What’s that about?

This explains why so many mediators can more rightly call mediation a hobby than their professional work.

How many mediators do they think these programs can possibly handle?

How on earth do they expect to pay the bills if they’re turning to free and low-fee programs like these for work? More under-employed mediators on the loose…

Why do they only see work coming from opportunities someone else has created?

Why are they the real opportunities so invisible?

The following month, I conducted an informal experiment at the Association for Conflict Resolution New England chapter conference. In conversations with other mediators, I asked the same question: Where is mediation growing in your state? Where do you turn to catch a new wave of opportunity?

The responses were uncannily familiar now. It wasn’t just my grad students.

The seeds for this book sprouted in that moment. It’s a book ostensibly about building a successful ADR practice through effective marketing strategy and the use of online technology to inform, educate and promote.

But it’s really a book about following your passion, uncovering what’s behind that passion and making it visible to others, creating your own opportunities to prosper, and finding the voice that draws others to what you love.

There are far too many under-worked mediators and other ADR professionals in a world that could most assuredly make use of your services. If you’re one of those under-worked mediators, then the time has come to begin reversing that trend.

Are you ready to make mediation your day job?

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Mediation business and marketing

Footer

Disagree better

Get The Disagree Better Guide + free road-tested conflict resolution tools delivered to your inbox monthly

Uncopyright   ·   Site policies   ·   Search

Forgive the intrusion...
We use cookies to improve your browsing experience.
We like to eat them, too. Read the policy here.
I ACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

Click to see the next question. Questions load randomly. Some have links for a deeper dive.

What would love do now?
What is the next right thing?
Am I being seen? Am I seeing?
What else could this be?
Who do I want to be?
Why am I this angry?
How has this affected me?
It's real but is it true?
What's holding my attention?
What is the wish behind the criticism?
What is the problem WE are trying to solve here?
What's the most important thing?
A week from now, will this have mattered?

QueryCards ©2021 Myiaccord LLC. All rights reserved.

image of the email series

7 ways to disagree better today

Seven proven practices you can use immediately. One a day for a week + monthly road-tested conflict resolution tools delivered to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

This companion download for the book is free — along with a free subscription to my monthly conflict resolution tools — when you register. Register just once to get full access to all downloads in my Resource Library:

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.