Tick Tock: balancing tools

If you are in a conflict or negotiation with someone who has a fixed and unyielding time perspective, what are some ways you can try and shift them to a more balanced time perspective? As a mediator, we are always seeking tools to help people to shift their perspective and to be in a position to consider all of the options. Based on the Zimbardo Time Perspective, below are some tools that may be useful to help someone shift appropriately to a more balanced time perspective: 
 

• Awareness is the first tool.  Appreciating that time perspective can influence a party in mediation, or someone in conflict enables you to consider adapting your process or using a tool to support that person.

 

• Mediation Intakes, or pre-meetings are invaluable chances to assess what someone's time perspective may be prior to starting joint mediation or entering into the negotiation. You can check in with some one to see if your observations feel relevant for them.  It can be helpful to manage expectations to have this conversation up front about what might be going on for them and for the other party in mediation, or the other person in the negotiation

 

• Process can be adapted. We can consider are they able to mediate? or negotiate now?  And if so what type of issues can usefully be discussed? It may be that short term and interim issues are all that can be managed and that more time needs to be given to be able to discuss long term issues.

 

• Reframing can assist people to shift perspective. One of the challenges for someone stuck in past negative is that this becomes the frame through which they conduct themselves in the mediation or negotiation. If we can help someone to shift to a more neutral perspective on past events this can help to enable them to focus on the future. If they cannot leave the past we cannot assist them to move into the future.

 

• Metaphor can provide an opportunity for us to use language. We can use words which highlight the future focus of the mediation process or the negotiation and support people to adjust to a more balanced perspective.  For example, “this is the time to draw a line in the sand” – using metaphor can be helpful for people to visualize concepts and ideas

 

• Increase understanding that issues may mean different things to people with different time perspectives.  For example, a dispute in family mediation over whether to set up an education fund for the children may not be a value conflict about the importance of education, but may be a clash between a present hedonist and a future oriented parent. Shifting from a value conflict to appreciating there may be a time perspective difference may enable people to discuss options without judging each other. 

What are some ways you may adapt your approach to other people in conflict or negotiation to take into account time perspective?

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