Professionals define mediation in many different ways, but Dave Kuhn has one of the most creative.  Kuhn, a physical therapist who co-owns the firm of Indiana Physical Therapy, sees mediation as an essential skill for both athletes and others to possess.  Kuhn, who has worked extensively with high school teams, has recently been named to serve as a trainer for a world championship swimming team.

Kuhn to Define Mediation as a Leadership Quality

“I think a good leader has good communication skills and the ability to listen and learn and act on information; to communicate what you want done and to be able to listen,” said Kuhn while discussing issues of leadership.  He specifically mentioned the skill of mediation in leadership, defining it as the ability to listen to both sides of an issue prior to helping the parties involved to resolve it.  “It’s not always taking the middle of the road," he explained.  "Sometimes, you have to tell everyone what they’re doing and how to do it.”

Another important mediation skill, according to Kuhn, is the ability to overcome one's own doubt.  Confidence can be the key, explained Kuhn when speaking about how people sometimes allow their own doubts to paralyze their ability to make decisions.  This is true in all forms of dispute resolution, including environmental mediation.