Decision making is something that I have been curious about so much so that my NLP Masters final project involved modelling the decision-making process of people from a wide range of backgrounds.
In summary, there was a distinct process common to all and, at some level, most people connected sub-consciously with how they felt about their options and decision. It was important for them to check-in how it felt to them. During mediation, this is often put as “Can I live with this and move on?”
There may be decision making driven by the head, heart, moral compass, obligation, spiritual and religious belief, logic, laws, regulations, peer pressure, expectation of others, and the list goes on. We are all individuals, in unique circumstances.
To reach a degree of comfort in a decision might involve research, access to additional information, advice, guidance or even a long walk to gain perspective. There will however be a pattern – your unique decision-making behaviour.
Understanding what process transitions you from the issue in question through to your decision can make the process easier and more efficient.
During mediation, you will be making decisions to conclude your dispute. You are guided through the process by the mediator who will take time to ensure that you are content, and rest assured those decisions are yours and yours alone. The mediator will not advise you. Once the settlement agreement is signed, it is binding and becomes an enforceable contract. It is therefore important that when attending mediation, you equip yourself with the information and/or people that will help you make the best decisions on the day.
