The Middle Voice

Everyone mediates. The only question is: how well do we do it?

Whether you want to strengthen your skills as a professional mediator, or more successfully manage conflict in your workplace, classroom, family, community, service organization, or political group, this book will give you insight into conflict and tools to address it effectively.

The Middle Voice describes the crucial role that a mediator plays in dealing with disputes and the theory and strategy that guide successful performance. Richly illustrated with examples, it leads you stage by stage through the mediation process, outlining skills and knowledge necessary to execute each step. You will come away understanding what values govern mediation practice, how to begin a conversation between disputants, what to listen for, how to structure a constructive dialogue, ways to overcome impasse, and how to help disputing parties reach closure.

When done well, mediation develops understanding, energizes problem-solving, and helps people reach durable agreements. This straightforward, easy-to-understand book gives you the keys to success at helping others resolve their conflict.

"This book is a 'must read' for all interested in mediation." — Nancy H. Rogers, Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law; Past President, The American Association of Law Schools

"Stulberg and Love have accomplished the impossible task of writing a book on mediation which is accessible and valuable to everyone from the most experienced mediator and trainer to the unwitting person who finds themselves thrust into the position of mediator." — Sharon B. Press, Director, Dispute Resolution Institute, Hamline University School of Law; Past Director, Florida Dispute Resolution Center; former President, Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution (now the Association for Conflict Resolution)

"In this elegantly concise guide to mediation success, Stulberg and Love generously share their secrets and practical wisdom gleaned from two decades of mediating and mediation training collaboration. Reading it is like taking the world's best mediation training course with the luxury of repeating it whenever you need to." — James R. Coben, Professor of Law and Senior Fellow, Dispute Resolution Institute, Hamline School of Law; past Director, Dispute Resolution Institute, Hamline School of Law (2000-2009)

"There is simply no one in the conflict resolution field who knows more about the theory and practice of facilitative mediation than the authors of this book. Both are master practitioners, teachers and trainers, whose former students are leaders in the field today." — Baruch Bush, Rains Distinguished Professor of ADR Law, Hofstra Law School, and President, Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation