what is mediation?

Mediation is not a therapeutic intervention, nor is it a substitute for it. During our conversations we won’t dig into the past. Although we may look at the history of a conflict, we are solution-oriented and we focus on the ‘here-and-now’. We will only discuss what you want to bring to the table - nothing more, nothing less - and will keep everything we talk about private and confidential.

when is mediation useful?

Mediation can help to resolve all sorts of conflicts: e.g. between (ex-)partners, within a family, among colleagues at work, between friends, neighbours, or communities. Disputes and misunderstandings are costly. Sometimes the cost is financial, but conflicts always drain the most valuable resources we have: time and (emotional) energy. Investing in a few mediation sessions can quickly resolve a conflict and allow all parties involved to see eye to eye and move forward.

what are the requirements for mediation?

Mediation offers value in a diverse range of contexts and conflicts. You don’t require special skills or prior knowledge in order for it to succeed. The only thing we ask is that you are willing to actively participate in the process and remain committed to working on solutions.

how do we work?

In conflicts where two parties (or small groups) are involved, one of us will be your mediator. With larger groups, or when a case is more complex, we work as a team of two mediators.

Mediation sessions last 90-120 minutes. Team mediations and larger group sessions can last longer. Experience has shown us that most conflicts can be resolved in 3-6 sessions, but, as each case is unique, mediations can last shorter or longer.

languages.

We offer mediation sessions primarily in Dutch, English, French, and German. We can also support you with a session in which one or more of the participants speak Arabic, Spanish, and/or Turkish.

what do we offer?

We offer mediation, conflict coaching, and conflict resolution tactics and strategies that can be applied to a diverse range of personal and professional contexts.

workplace | professional services.

We work with:

Working in:

Issues we work on:

private | personal services.

We work with:

Including, but not exclusively, in intercultural and LGBTQIA+ settings on issues including:

what is coaching?

Coaching is a process that aims to provide clarity, facilitate decision-making, and improve performance. During our conversations we focus on the ‘here-and-now’ and the near future. We invite you to ask yourself questions to determine your individual goal(s) and we help you develop a realistic methodology for reaching these goals.

Coaching sessions at frameshift are as diverse as our clients and their issues are. What all sessions have in common is that we guide our clients through a structured reflection process in an engaged and active way.

when is coaching useful?

Coaching is always helpful when you need a new perspective. For example, in situations of indecision, conflict, or during a phase of reorientation, or uncertainty. 

Themes that are often discussed in coaching sessions include the following:

We also offer conflict coaching sessions when direct mediation is not possible; often, when a conflict has escalated, or one party involved is not (yet) ready for mediation, individualised coaching can be particularly helpful. In such cases, you come to us by yourself and work with us to clarify what you can do to induce change in a situation of conflict.

what are the requirements for coaching?

In addition to voluntary participation, the condition for successful coaching is your willingness to reflect critically on your own patterns of behaviour. You are unable to pinpoint the actual issue? Don't worry, we often work that out together during a coaching session.

what do we offer?

We help individuals, team members, leaders, managers and executives look at circumstances from different angles. Our approach is systemic; we believe that conflicts, challenges and difficulties are caused (and maintained) by a network of relationships and by ossifying structures. We can help you to understand such dynamics and to locate your role within them by offering a fresh point of view. We are solution- and resource-oriented: what may seem to be a dead end at first, suddenly may transform into an intersection of possibilities.

how do we work?

Our coaching sessions are completely individualised, as everyone is different and requires different forms of support and guidance. However, the first session is broadly similar for everyone. When we first meet, we always discuss your concerns, wishes and expectations, and the goals you want to achieve during the coaching process. We clarify our role and outline a rough timeframe for our collaboration. The first session mainly serves to establish familiarity and to develop a working relationship. Based on what is generated in the first meeting, we plan the following sessions and choose appropriate methods for working together. Each session ends with a reflection and a summary of its results.

Depending on the issue you want to address, one or two coaching sessions may be enough to reframe your situation and give you the insight you need to find durable solutions. Some of our clients, however, choose to receive regular, long-term support to provide a continuous process of reflection, reassessment, and improvement.

Our sessions usually last 90 minutes.

languages.

We offer mediation sessions primarily in Dutch, English, French, and German. We can also support you with a session in which one or more of the participants speak Arabic, Spanish, and/or Turkish.

what do we offer?

Our workshops and training sessions address everyday issues from the working life, including dealing with bad workplace vibes, communication strategies and techniques, and exploring leadership skills.

Anyone seeking to develop their skills within a working context, or who wishes to manage their work-life balance is welcome to sign up for one of our programmes. Some trainings are specially crafted for mediators, coaches, or teachers.

Trainings and workshops are offered several times a year and can be booked individually or by HR departments.

Examples of the seminars, trainings, and workshops we have conducted in the past (face-to-face and online):

During the pandemic we have developed various online trainings for working, teaching, and learning in a virtual setting:

in-house training.

Do you want to lead your team to success? Do you want to improve team communication, decision-making, or to manage conflicts? Do you want to improve your management skills and learn how to become a more effective leader? If this sounds like you, get in touch and we will design your customised training programme.

Please contact us to learn about details and pricing:

how do we work?

Good moderation saves a lot of time and energy. With quality moderation, your team leaders and your group can concentrate on content instead of worrying about devising a meeting’s structure. We lead participants to good results by using relevant visuals, and fostering methods to keep track of what gets said and decided so you can get on with having an effective discussion.

what do we offer?

We offer moderation for:

team meetings.

An efficient meeting takes planning and careful moderating. Engaging an external moderator helps teams and team leaders to focus on their own areas of expertise. As moderators we take responsibility for time management and visualisation for discussions. Our focus is to keep the team on point, structuring discussions and offering pathways for decision-making. If desired, we also take responsibility for taking the minutes of a meeting.

(in-house) events.

We design, plan and moderate conferences, projects, anniversaries and other celebrations, company outings or team building activities and workshops.

panel discussions.

Are you planning a panel discussion? We have extensive experience in facilitating formal and informal discussions of the following topics:

Organising a panel discussion on a different topic other than those listed above? We are quick learners and curious to broaden our horizons. Get in touch and tell us about your project and we can discuss the options we can offer!

conflict moderation.

Most conflicts are not so complex that mediation is needed. Nevertheless, external moderation for a conflict can provide a sense of relief for everyone involved. The inclusion of external parties can dial down the intensity of a conflict situation. Even small conflicts can be highly emotional. Those who are emotionally affected often are not able to pay attention to much more than their own position and needs.

As moderators, we ensure that all parties involved in a conflict have their say, and we support them in making sure that their points of view are heard by the other parties. We follow up and clarify all significant points in the conversation, and emphasise points of commonality and agreements.

As conflict moderators, we often support team leaders who ask us to take over the management of conflicts between employees.

what do we offer?

We offer all our services — mediation, coaching, training, and moderation — online or in hybrid formats. We will discuss your needs beforehand so that you feel comfortable in this setting.

how do we work?

An online session with us follows much the same format as a face-to-face meeting. Before meeting, we first discuss which platform you prefer to use. We have extensive experience with BigBlueButton, Google Hangouts, Jitsi, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Zoom, but we are open to using any other video conferencing tool.

During the session we will ask you to turn your video on and to not record. We will do the same.

what do our clients think?

Most of the clients who have chosen to meet us online have noted how this setting allowed them to feel safe and empowered them to easily express themselves. We believe that through sessions like these we are helping to make ‘social distancing’ a little bit more social.