Preparing what to say at meetings
Develop objectives
What would make you feel the mediation was successful? Within these objectives there might be a range of settlement possibilities.
Identify your needs and concerns
Look behind any position you may be taking to discover what your real concerns, interests and needs are. It may help to prioritise these needs or at least work out what values (rather than positions) you would not be prepared to compromise.
Identify the other party's needs and concerns
Think about what the other party's real concerns, needs and interests are. Without compromising your fundamental needs, what can you offer to help the other party meet something of their needs?
Gather information
Gather information to help explain your views. Work out whether enough information is available or whether further research is required. Establish whether this information you have can be shared at a meeting, bearing in mind that all discussions within mediation remain confidential. Alternatively, establish whether access to the information can be restricted in some way eg, by communication between trusted individuals, the outcome of which is reported to the meeting.
Expert information
Establish whether particular topics at issue require specialist input eg, engineering, archaeology or ecology. Think about who should be responsible for gathering that information and how (if at all) the costs should be shared between the parties.
Presenting information
Explore options for presentation including site visits, visual representations (photos, diagrams, plans) and verbal records.
Identify options known at this stage
Start this list for later use in the process. Aim to avoid being locked into particular solutions at the beginning of mediation. Solutions could be symbolic as well as tangible.
