Advanced Mediation Skills Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Advanced Certificate on completion
Who attends Internal Mediators, HR and Employee Relations Managers and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-IS-024

Before you join: Participants should have prior experience managing workplace, commercial, project or community conflict, whether as a manager, adviser, representative or mediator.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Difficult disputes rarely fail because parties lack positions; they fail because interests, authority, emotion, process and risk are handled poorly. Advanced mediators must work with entrenched disagreement without becoming advocates, imposing solutions or allowing the loudest party to control the process. This is particularly important where disputes involve senior stakeholders, employment grievances, commercial contracts, public services, project delivery or community interests.

This five-day course develops the judgement and interventions needed to mediate complex, high-stakes and emotionally charged disputes. Participants diagnose conflict patterns, establish an appropriate mediation mandate, build psychological safety, manage power imbalances and move parties from stated demands to workable interests. They practise private meetings, reality testing, option development, difficult behaviour interventions, impasse management and agreement drafting. The course also addresses confidentiality, impartiality, informed consent, conflicts of interest and the limits of mediator authority.

Teaching combines focused instructor briefings with detailed cases, small-group analysis, structured simulations and observed mediation practice. Participants receive feedback against clear mediation criteria, including neutrality, listening, questioning, process control and agreement quality. They leave with a personal mediator development plan and a set of reusable planning, questioning, impasse and settlement tools for workplace and commercial disputes.

The course suits experienced managers, HR and employee relations practitioners, legal and compliance professionals, union representatives, project leaders and internal mediators who already handle conflict and need greater confidence with complex cases.

What you will be able to do

  • Diagnose dispute dynamics using conflict mapping, stakeholder analysis and interest identification
  • Design a mediation process covering mandate, confidentiality, authority and participant safety
  • Conduct joint and private mediation meetings using reframing, summarising and purposeful questioning
  • Apply BATNA, WATNA and reality-testing methods to evaluate proposals and settlement risks
  • Manage power imbalances, strong emotion and disruptive conduct while maintaining impartiality
  • Generate and evaluate settlement options using objective criteria and package bargaining
  • Break impasse through process interventions, caucus strategy and conditional proposals
  • Draft clear mediated agreements with actions, owners, deadlines and review arrangements

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater confidence leading difficult conversations without taking sides
  • A repeatable structure for preparing and conducting complex mediations
  • Sharper judgement about when to caucus, reality-test or pause proceedings
  • Practical language for reframing accusations, threats and positional demands
  • Evidence of advanced mediation development through a certificate of completion

For your organisation

  • Earlier resolution of grievances before they become formal disputes
  • Better working relationships after conflict between teams or stakeholders
  • More consistent handling of sensitive disputes by internal mediators
  • Reduced management time lost to repeated escalation and unresolved issues
  • Clearer settlement records with accountable actions and review dates

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can assess whether mediation is appropriate and define a workable mandate.

  • Conflict mapping identifies parties, issues, relationships, authority and decision constraints
  • Screening mediator suitability, participant capacity, safety concerns and referral requirements
  • Mediation mandate distinguishes agreed scope, excluded issues and decision authority
  • Stakeholder analysis surfaces absent voices, sponsors, influencers and implementation risks
  • Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes explain recurring behavioural responses under pressure
  • Process choice compares mediation, facilitation, investigation, negotiation and adjudication

Participants can maintain an ethical, fair process while handling competing expectations.

  • Impartiality separates equal respect from equal treatment of every proposal
  • Confidentiality agreements define permitted disclosures, records and caucus information boundaries
  • Informed consent confirms voluntary participation, process understanding and withdrawal rights
  • Conflict-of-interest checks identify prior relationships, financial interests and perceived bias
  • Procedural fairness applies voice, neutrality, respect and explanation principles
  • Mediator authority boundaries prevent advice, coercion, investigation and decision making

Participants can open a mediation with authority, clarity and constructive working conditions.

  • Opening statements establish purpose, roles, ground rules and participant choice
  • Process contracting gains agreement on speaking order, breaks and confidentiality
  • Psychological safety develops through respectful acknowledgement and predictable process control
  • Neutral language replaces blame labels with observable events and stated concerns
  • Active listening uses attending, paraphrasing, summarising and emotion recognition
  • Early agenda setting converts diffuse complaints into manageable discussion items

Participants can uncover interests and emotions without reinforcing positional conflict.

  • Harvard Principled Negotiation separates people, interests, options and objective criteria
  • Open questions uncover needs, priorities, fears, assumptions and future concerns
  • Reframing converts accusations into needs, requests and negotiable problem statements
  • Emotion labelling acknowledges feelings without diagnosing motives or assigning fault
  • Ladder-of-inference questions test conclusions, evidence and unspoken assumptions
  • Strategic silence creates space for reflection, correction and voluntary disclosure

Participants can use private meetings purposefully while protecting trust and confidentiality.

  • Caucus purpose distinguishes emotional regulation, information gathering and option testing
  • Private-meeting contracts clarify confidentiality, disclosure permissions and return arrangements
  • Shuttle diplomacy transfers offers accurately without becoming a party advocate
  • Reality testing examines assumptions, alternatives, costs and consequences of non-settlement
  • BATNA and WATNA analysis compares negotiated outcomes with realistic alternatives
  • Mediator self-management prevents alignment, rescue behaviour and confidential-information misuse

Participants can address power differences and disruptive behaviour without abandoning neutrality.

  • Power mapping examines formal authority, expertise, resources, status and relationships
  • Process adjustments balance participation through preparation, support persons and separate meetings
  • Cultural curiosity tests communication preferences without stereotyping identity or intent
  • De-escalation responses address threats, interruptions, contempt and escalating personal attacks
  • Boundary setting names unacceptable conduct and states immediate process consequences
  • Trauma-aware practice recognises distress signals and offers appropriate process choices

Participants can help parties create, test and package options for mutual agreement.

  • Option generation separates brainstorming from commitment, evaluation and final bargaining
  • Objective criteria include policy, precedent, market data, contract terms and standards
  • Package bargaining links multiple issues to create acceptable trade-offs
  • Conditional proposals test movement using if-then structures and clear contingencies
  • SMART commitments specify actions, owners, deadlines, evidence and review points
  • Decision rules distinguish consensus, delegated authority and subject-to-approval settlements

Participants can diagnose impasse and select proportionate interventions to restore movement.

  • Impasse diagnosis distinguishes substantive, relational, procedural and psychological barriers
  • Agenda redesign breaks deadlock into smaller, sequenced and solvable decisions
  • Bracketing records provisional agreement while isolating unresolved disputed issues
  • Hypothetical questions test possible movement without creating premature commitment
  • Mediator proposals offer structured alternatives only after informed party consideration
  • Strategic adjournment creates time for consultation, evidence gathering and emotional reset

Participants can convert verbal agreement into clear, monitored commitments.

  • Settlement terms use plain language, observable actions and unambiguous responsibilities
  • Implementation plans assign owners, dates, resources, dependencies and escalation routes
  • Contingency clauses address missed milestones, changed circumstances and disputed interpretation
  • Review mechanisms specify meeting dates, progress evidence and amendment procedures
  • Closing summaries confirm common understanding before parties finalise commitments
  • Record management protects confidentiality while retaining authorised settlement documentation

Participants can evaluate their mediation performance and plan targeted professional improvement.

  • Observation criteria assess neutrality, listening, questioning, structure and intervention timing
  • Feedback conversations separate behavioural evidence from interpretation and personal preference
  • Reflective practice identifies triggers, habits, strengths and recurring development priorities
  • Case preparation plans integrate mandate, interests, risks, caucus strategy and options
  • Escalation protocols identify referral points for legal, safeguarding or disciplinary processes
  • Personal development plans set practice goals, supervision needs and review dates

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Complex mediation preparation template
  2. Conflict and stakeholder mapping model
  3. Caucus confidentiality checklist
  4. BATNA and WATNA analysis worksheet
  5. Impasse intervention decision guide
  6. Mediated agreement and implementation plan template

Who should attend

  • Internal Mediators — need stronger process control for complex workplace and commercial disputes
  • HR and Employee Relations Managers — handle grievances, disciplinary tensions and relationship breakdowns
  • Senior Managers — need to resolve disputes between teams, functions and key stakeholders
  • Legal and Compliance Professionals — support negotiated resolution while protecting procedural fairness
  • Project and Programme Leaders — address delivery disputes before they affect milestones and contracts
  • Union and Employee Representatives — represent interests effectively within mediated discussions

Skills and tools covered

Conflict diagnosisMediation process designCaucus managementReality testingImpasse resolutionSettlement drafting

Tools and standards

Harvard Principled Negotiation, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, BATNA/WATNA analysis, Ladder of Inference

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce mediation models, ethics and intervention choices. Participants analyse realistic disputes, prepare mediation strategies in groups and conduct progressive simulations involving joint meetings, caucuses and impasse. Trainers observe selected practice sessions and provide structured feedback on process management, listening, questioning, neutrality and settlement work. Individual reflection and application planning connect the methods to participants’ own disputes, roles and organisational procedures.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have prior experience managing workplace, commercial, project or community conflict, whether as a manager, adviser, representative or mediator. They should understand the difference between negotiation, facilitation, investigation and mediation, and be comfortable discussing sensitive cases with peers. Previous formal mediation training is useful but not essential; the course begins by establishing a shared process model before moving to advanced interventions. No legal qualification, counselling credential or prior accreditation is required. Participants should be willing to receive structured feedback during simulations.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should already have experience handling conflict as a manager, HR practitioner, adviser, representative or mediator. Formal mediation training is helpful but not mandatory if participants understand basic conflict-resolution processes.

Bring examples of non-confidential disputes that reflect the situations you handle at work. Participants should not bring personal data, privileged documents or identifiable case records.

It is designed for people who mediate, sponsor or manage difficult disputes involving staff, customers, suppliers, projects or communities. It is particularly useful where disagreement is entrenched or involves unequal power, strong emotion or multiple stakeholders.

Negotiation training focuses on representing and advancing a party's interests. This course develops the neutral third-party skills needed to structure dialogue, manage process fairness, conduct caucuses and help others reach their own agreement.

Participants can use the preparation template, conflict map, caucus checklist and agreement format in internal disputes. The methods also improve difficult manager-led conversations where a formal mediation is not required.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. Time is divided between instructor input, case analysis, group work, simulations, observation feedback and application planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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