WILLEMSTAD – From 11-14 October 2022, 85 civil servants attended a mediation skills workshop. The workshop was organized by the Legislation & Legal Affairs Department (WJZ) of the Ministry of General Affairs and the Human Resources & Organization of the Ministry of Administration, Planning and Services and provided by The Lime Tree.
“When we think of mediation, divorce or mediation in courts comes to mind for many people.” Pien Hoogenboom, head of Mediation & Training at The Lime Tree, believes that the skills should also be used in other conversations where friction or hassle plays a role. Conflicts are part of life and that is precisely why it is nice to have insight into conflicts and then also to know what one could do! “If you yourself have a conversation with hassle or you guide others in such a conversation. You can see mediation skills as communication skills in situations where there is tension,” said Hoogenboom.
According to Jennifer Pawirodihardjo-Fer (WJZ), government employees deal with citizens in many different matters. “Usually our work has a great influence on the inhabitants of the country. In some cases this creates friction and sometimes also 'real' conflicts. Open communication is then important and parties must be prepared to resolve the conflict. When you, as a civil servant, have confidence in your own conflict skills, difficult conversations are suddenly less complicated. And everyone benefits from both civil servants and citizens. A working environment is created that is more focused on jointly finding solutions and less on conflict. This also affects working relationships within and outside government. Perhaps unnecessarily, mastering these skills will also affect your personal relationships.”
Some reactions from participants: 'I have gained new insights', 'the workshop was useful and instructive', 'I can apply the techniques in practice'.
Next year, The Lime Tree will organize a mediation training in Curaçao for everyone who is interested!