Riley Jensen

Riverton Utah

Communications

Leadership

Mediation and Conflict Resolution

        Conflict Resolution and Mediation is a very beneficial skill. Mediation is the act of being an unbiased middle ground in an argument between party’s. For my EDGE project I took a Conflict Resolution & Mediation Skills course. For the course I learned how to be a mediator. Then the course gave us opportunities to practice our skills and get real world applications for it. Mediation is a form of conflict resolution where one person stands as a safe middle ground in some sort of argument. For example, if 2 people were in an argument a mediator could come in as an unbiased third party to help the two talk it out. The mediator is there to help two people come to a mutual agreement.

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        I learned a lot about people and arguments during my project and I think it was incredibly helpful. When I Graduate I want to get a job at an advertising agency then eventually when I have some experience become a communication director at a hospital. Being able to put on a resume that I have a certificate in mediation will put me above the crowd and give me a head start on those dreams. The Project went well but because it was the first year the course was offered there was a few snags. The course director had a hard time helping us get resources to do real mediation. As a result, most of the real world application was done from practicing and role plays. Other than that the project went very well and I believe it was beneficial.

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            My inspiration came from a combination of two things. First I am a communication student and mediation matches that very well. It is helpful to push me forward in my major and information gaining process. Second a conversation with Professor Sage Platt helped me decide how positive this opportunity could be. Overall these things are what inspired me to complete this project.

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            The challenge I encountered during this project was that it was the first time the course was offered, and it was difficult to run exactly the way it was designed. The plan was to get a hold of a few mediation outlets such as schools or courthouses. Then we would shadow and work as mediators. This plan didn’t work out well which is why I had to be flexible. Instead I had to do role plays and practice to replace the experience.

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            My project will benefit many people through my future. First of all, I will be able to diffuse arguments in my future career. This will apply also for my future family. I think it has changed my thinking enough that I can generally make communication more fluid between parties which is very beneficial to the people around me.

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            This project was very beneficial to me because I learned some very valuable skills. Before this project I always wanted to fix a problem when I was told about it. This project taught me to listen better which helps me in my life. The life lessons alone have been worth it for me.

 

 

 

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“I have a hard time just listening to a problem and not giving advice, crazy enough it works.”