After each co-mediation or co-facilitation, my colleague and I always took a few minutes to debrief with each other and create space to share what went well and what could have been different. We did this whether it was a relatively easy and straight-forward session, and we did it when the sessions were hard. Committing ourselves to this debrief, no matter what, ensured we would address issues that might come up and not have the awkwardness of having to start the conversation. We each prompted the other with openness: “what feedback do you have for me?” or “is there anything you wish I would have done differently?” providing each other a safe space to explore our perspectives, new approaches, talk through any tough situations, and game plan for the next session. As great as this was, I just learned that we should have taken one more step in this process: “As a result of this new learning, what will I change or do differently in the future?” I often take the time to reflect back, but I also need to take the time to project forward and carry the learning to the next level. Looking forward to doing this more going forward.
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