Note-taking in mediation is a skill used by the mediator to extract and record essential information disclosed by one of the parties or their representatives in order to keep track of the discussion and steer it in a direction favorable to settlement.

Managing intense emotions, anger, and aggression as part of the mediation process is defined as the mediator’s ability to apply emotional intelligence, communication skills, and conflict resolution techniques in such a way that the mediation process is not derailed by the emotional outbursts of the participants.

Active listening is a fundamental skill in mediation that relies on a feedback loop during conversations that helps create an environment of understanding, empathy, and effective communication. Listening actively makes it possible to gather additional information, uncover underlying interests, and facilitate productive discussions.

Summarizing means succinctly restating and outlining in a neutral way all the key points, concerns, and agreements discussed during the meeting to clarify the parties’ positions, identify common ground, and move towards a solution. This requires a high degree of active listening, a good command of neutral language, and the ability to extract common ground from the individual statements that have been made.

Non-verbal communication in mediation is the mediator’s ability to accurately identify non-verbal cues and read the body language of the parties to interpret them in a meaningful way that encourages further cooperation between the participants.

Cognitive biases in mediation represent the internal perceptions
and interpretations that parties hold that can drive their behavior and impact the way they behave when faced with conflict. In order to effectively overcome the negative effects of cognitive biases, mediators should first be able to recognize and then neutralize them, thus negating any possible negative impact they may have on the parties’ willingness to settle.

Emotional intelligence refers to the process by which the mediator helps the parties to explore and vent their emotions, identify how emotions provoke their response to the conflict, and pave the way for more constructive problem solving. These skills can generally be summarized under the heading of emotional intelligence, and the mediator should employ them to move the conversation to the next level.

Conflict resolution styles refer to the four specific styles the mediator can choose from, ranging from less to more intervention. These styles are called transformative, facilitative, informative and evaluative; each has their own advantages and disadvan-tages. The mediator uses the style he/she has been trained to use, making sure that the parties are well informed about what such an approach would mean in the context of their conflict.