Most mediators I meet are not losers – although in many unregulated jurisdictions, there is no doubt there are those who do not meet the basic standards of our profession yet still call themselves mediators.

In fact, most mediators I meet would say they are certainly not in a job or even have a career – they are far more likely to view what they do as a ‘calling’ and on the basis of that would put themselves squarely in the classroom reserved for dynamos.

But I wonder – how many mediators, no matter how passionate they are, actually belong in the dynamo class?

Many of us may make great sausages but in the end, we are turning out only sausages – in which case we are one of Maister’s merry band of cruisers.

So, if it matters to you, how can you workout where you fit?

How can we tell if we are a dynamo going to somewhere or, at some point, stopped our journey and are now turning out sausages, even if they are really great sausages?

Well, Maister proffered a complicated looking equation involving different degrees of margin, rate, utilisation and leverage as one answer but I never understood how to apply it to mediation practice. The thrust, I think, was if the market allows you to increase your mediation rate, you must be making more than sausages. Yes, I know, some will take huge exception to this.

Read original article


Tags: