The Man in The Middle

The importance of a consultant or observer has never been more clear than after spending time in a mediation class this semester. In mediation, much like in group observation, the objective is to gain information so that everyone who is involved in the process can gain a better understanding of everyone's needs before reaching a solution that everyone can agree to and that is in everyone's best interest. The role of the outside party is to be sure that there are not descisions being made that might be harmful in ways that the many poeple could not understand from being a member. Having a person from the outside means that conclusions can be drawn by an unbiased party. It is impossible to leave out all feeling we have about a group we are a part of. An outside party can help a group see things for what they really are. They can put you in a place of objectivity instead of interpretation. In a state of interpretation we are untilizing our own experience and knowlegde, in a more productive state of observation and consulting, we can see things as they are; effective ideas, or not so effective ideas.