Describe the process and goals of storytelling in a mediation process, and the role the manager plays in facilitating storytelling

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Storytelling allows each party in the dispute to tell his or her story in full. A party's story is essentially his or her view of the situation that led to the dispute. At the conclusion of the storytelling process, each individual should feel that he or she has been fully heard and understood by the other party. The goal of storytelling is to surface the underlying interests that are in dispute from which problem solving may begin.
The manager must ensure that each party has the opportunity to tell his or her story in full and that the party feels understood. By initially establishing ground rules, the manager can revisit them if the other party appears not to be listening or is engaging in conduct that interferes with the storyteller's ability to fully tell the story. For example, the manager can remind the party that he or she agreed to listen and not interrupt. The manager can also monitor a party's body language and non-verbal communication, and remind the party that such conduct is the same as not listening.
With respect to the party telling a story, the manager can ask clarifying questions to help the party fully convey the story. When doing this, the manager must be careful to guide the storyteller down the path that he or she is going rather than divert him or her down a different path. The manager must ensure that the party telling a story is able to do so from his or her frame of reference and avoid actions, statements, or questions that interfere with this ability.