Mediation
Importance of Optics: Negating Bias
Learn strategies to manage optics, body language, and micro-signals to maintain neutrality and trust in mediation.
- Intermediate
- English
- 2 Weeks
- 6 lessons
What you will learn?
Manage body language and verbal tone
Control micro-signals to avoid bias
Refine communication and facilitation styles
Demonstrate impartial presence consistently
Who this course is for
Mediators facilitating high-stakes negotiations
Facilitators managing workplace disputes
HR professionals ensuring fair internal processes
ADR practitioners focused on impartiality skills.
Prerequisites
Intro to facilitation or legal process
Familiarity with ADR fundamentals
Willingness to apply behavioural adjustments
Commitment to neutrality in practice.
Why this course
Highlights the role of optics in maintaining credibility, Provides tools to manage unconscious signals, Strengthens verbal and non-verbal communication strategies, Reduces risks of perceived bias, Improves party trust and engagement, Enhances overall professional presentation in dispute resolution settings.
Course content
Objective
Understand the significance of optics in ADR and how perception shapes trust in the dispute resolution process.
Key topics
Explain why perceptions matter in ADR
Identify non-verbal cues that create impressions of bias
Understand the psychology behind optics
Analyse case examples of neutrality breaches
Recognise how unconscious behaviours influence trust
Apply strategies to align perception with reality.
Week 1
Lesson 1
Preview available
Online
Video Lectures
60 min
Activity
Complete a short case study worksheet and summarize your decision/recommendation.
Objective
Learn how to manage body language to project neutrality consistently.
Key topics
Adopt neutral postures during sessions
Avoid gestures that suggest alignment with one party
Use controlled facial expressions
Maintain balanced eye contact
Apply open seating arrangements for fairness
Monitor non-verbal signals in high-stakes interactions.
Week 1
Lesson 2
Online
Video Lectures
60 min
Activity
Complete a practical exercise and write a short reflection aligned with the lesson objective.
Objective
Refine your verbal communication to avoid unintended bias during mediation.
Key topics
Maintain a steady and professional tone
Avoid language that implies judgment
Use balanced reinforcement for all parties
Apply neutral phrasing in sensitive discussions
Manage pitch and pace during high-pressure moments
Ensure consistency in verbal responses.
Week 1
Lesson 3
Online
Video Lectures
60 min
Activity
Complete a practical exercise and write a short reflection aligned with the lesson objective.
Objective
Learn how structured decision-making promotes fairness and prevents bias perceptions.
Key topics
Understand how sequencing affects perception of fairness
Apply structured approaches to decision-making
Communicate process steps openly
Ensure equal opportunity for party input
Avoid premature conclusions
Document rationale for procedural choices.
Week 2
Lesson 4
Online
Video Lectures
60 min
Activity
Complete a practical exercise and write a short reflection aligned with the lesson objective.
Objective
Master control over micro-signals to maintain neutrality in complex situations.
Key topics
Identify subtle signals that influence perception
Manage tone shifts in response to party behaviour
Avoid unintended cues in note-taking or gestures
Monitor physical positioning during interactions
Reduce reliance on informal language
Apply behavioural audits to ADR practice.
Week 2
Lesson 5
Online
Video Lectures
60 min
Activity
Complete a practical exercise and write a short reflection aligned with the lesson objective.
Objective
Strengthen your ability to manage optics and perceptions through real-world practice and feedback.
Key topics
Engage in simulated sessions focusing on optics
Apply body language and tone control techniques
Receive peer and expert feedback
Identify personal behavioural patterns
Implement strategies for improvement
Develop a neutrality action plan.
Week 2
Lesson 6
Online
Video Lectures
60 min
Activity
Run a mediation role-play (opening ? caucus ? settlement) and write a 5-bullet reflection.
Description
In mediation and facilitation, neutrality is not only about being impartial but also appearing impartial to all parties involved. Even subtle cues—such as posture, tone, or sequencing of decisions—can create perceptions of bias, undermining trust in the process.
This course helps professionals understand and control the non-verbal, behavioural, and structural elements that shape perception. Participants will learn how body language, verbal tone, and interaction patterns influence party confidence. Practical techniques for decision sequencing, managing micro-signals, and projecting neutrality during high-stakes discussions will also be explored.
By the end of this programme, you will have the tools to create an environment where impartiality is not just maintained but visibly demonstrated—ensuring fairness, credibility, and effectiveness in every session.
This course helps professionals understand and control the non-verbal, behavioural, and structural elements that shape perception. Participants will learn how body language, verbal tone, and interaction patterns influence party confidence. Practical techniques for decision sequencing, managing micro-signals, and projecting neutrality during high-stakes discussions will also be explored.
By the end of this programme, you will have the tools to create an environment where impartiality is not just maintained but visibly demonstrated—ensuring fairness, credibility, and effectiveness in every session.
Instructor
Mian Sheraz Javaid
Develop Practical Skills to Mediate Disputes Effectively.
Sheraz draws from his rare dual expertise as an engineer and barrister to offer elite training in contract drafting. These programs are crafted for professionals who draft or review complex contracts and seek to enhance clarity, enforceability, and risk control across jurisdictions and sectors.
