Mediation trainers face an important responsibility. We prepare individuals for mediation practice, playing an integral role in the foundational stages of their professional development.

In addition to being effective trainers, as mentors we must demonstrate exemplary mediation skills ourselves, modeling for our students effective communication skills, collaborative problem solving techniques, patience, and respect. In that sense, mediation training constitutes a microcosm of mediation practice itself.

Serving as a trainer is a profound commitment, not just to the individuals we teach but to the advancement of the field and to building public confidence in our profession.

The best trainers I know are always looking for ways to get better at what they do. I was glad to discover, via George’s Employment Blawg, this top ten list of attributes of an effective trainer from the Canadian IT Manager blog, part 2 of a two-part article. Part 1 lists 10 additional attributes, including one which particularly resonated with me: willingness to be a lifelong learner. After all, as those of us who train know, our students can be our best teachers.

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