'Keep it small, keep it short '- your next meeting, that is.

Mediation usually comprises a series of meetings, of which the opening round table session is often the most important.

Keep it small:

Experience and research demonstrate that small meetings are more productive than larger gatherings. Why? In a large group, it’s much more difficult to pick up body language and subtle cues.

Keep it short:

Ideally a meeting should last no longer than an hour. When a meeting goes over the hour, there can be a perceptible loss of focus.

In mediation, it’s not always possible to leave people out but, as part of the preparation, it’s well worth trying to pare the team down to the bare essentials.