Balancing on words: Human change processes in mediation

Abstract

Abstract Mediation literature has been devoted to developing strategies to help people resolve differences. But within this prolific body of knowledge, few studies explore the subjective experience that people engage in while trying to bridge differences. This article reports the findings of a study conducted to understand the processes of change from the perspective of those who experienced significant changes following formal mediation. All of the participants had experienced long‐term conflict in the workplace. Three to six months after the mediation, the participants were asked to describe how the process has affected their beliefs, values, expectations, and behaviors within the conflicted relationships and to reflect on how they had changed since the mediation. Implications for mediators are included.