Ever get triggered by a micromanaging boss or wish you had training to handle clashes in the workplace before they advance to human resources? When disagreements escalate, professional mediators can be crucial, and experts who train those mediators make peaceful resolutions possible. That’s where the Mediation Training Institute at Eckerd College comes in.
Last July, MTI at Eckerd College, in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, had its Certified Workplace Mediator and Trainer (CMT) Program accredited by the International Mediation Institute, a nonprofit, public initiative that drives high competency standards in mediation worldwide. Graduates of MTI’s CMT Program will become IMI Qualified Mediators, indicating they have successfully completed an internationally recognized mediation training that adheres to a code of professional conduct and quality assurance measures.
This newly earned IMI accreditation provides a pathway for mediators in pursuit of internationally recognized certification. “With the world so connected,” MTI Senior Master Trainer Terry Marschall says, “there is a need to meet high standards and techniques to work effectively with diverse multinational organizations. The IMI accreditation reaffirms MTI’s position as a global leader in training, certification and consulting in workplace conflict management and mediation.”
In conjunction with Eckerd College’s strategic plan initiatives to address pedagogy for 21st-century learning and to support diversity and inclusion, MTI now provides an international link for professionals who seek training for critical skill-building in de-escalation of workplace conflict. With the growing number of Eckerd College faculty and staff who also have become CMT certified, the College is improving its program for future mediators and enhancing the distinctiveness among peers.
Founded in 1985 by Dr. Dan Dana, one of the early pioneers in the field of workplace mediation, the Mediation Training Institute is the foremost provider of training, certification, licensing and consulting in workplace conflict management and mediation. Eckerd acquired MTI in 2014, and Dr. Dana now serves as a senior adviser. MTI’s programs help practitioners develop skills in mediation and conflict resolution that positively impact workplace relationships, productivity and efficiency. The expertly designed learning methodology at MTI includes programs for coaches, mediators and trainers—including the Certified Workplace Mediator and Trainer Program as well as the Conflict Dynamics Profile, a behavior-based assessment that helps individuals identify how they respond to conflict.
MTI’s Certified Workplace Mediator and Trainer Program prepares coaches and trainers to teach practical mediation techniques for managing workplace conflict in both digital and in-person environments. All participants experience learning in small cohorts, one-on-one coaching sessions, role-play scenarios and breakout sessions to build expertise as workplace mediators. To support the mediation skills learned, participants also have the option to become certified to deliver the Conflict Dynamics Profile–Individual assessment to their clients. This tool helps individuals discover both constructive and destructive responses to conflict and uncover their hot buttons, leading them to become more self-aware and less likely to trigger conflict. Ultimately, practitioners leave the program prepared to resolve more entrenched workplace conflicts between individuals before they escalate and eager to assist others with workplace conflict resolution strategies.
Potential participants can explore the Mediation Training Institute’s approved program to learn more.
