Mediator

A neutral person who helps parties in conflict communicate and seek a voluntary agreement.

Reach for it when praising or identifying third-party skill in a mediation process

The mediator restated each concern without taking ownership of the solution.

• playful

  referee

  when informally keeping a dispute within fair rules

  not when A referee enforces rules or decides calls rather than helping parties make their own agreement.

• everyday

  go-between

  for someone informally carrying messages between people

  not when The term can imply secrecy and lacks the trained neutrality of mediator.

• warm

  peacemaker

  when calming hostility and restoring relations deserve emphasis

  not when Peacemaker can suggest harmony at any price and is not a defined neutral role.

• professional

  facilitator

  when guiding an effective discussion is the main role

  not when A facilitator need not be neutral between adversarial claims or seek settlement.

• professional

  neutral

  when impartial standing matters more than the exact process

  not when Neutral names a position, not the skills or work of mediation.

• professional

  ombudsperson

  when an independent office receives concerns and addresses unfairness

  not when An ombudsperson has a broader institutional role and may not mediate every case.

• formal

  broker

  when someone actively helps assemble terms for a deal

  not when Broker suggests transaction or influence and may not be impartial.

• formal

  conciliator

  when reducing hostility and restoring communication are the priorities

  not when A conciliator may propose solutions more actively than some mediators.

• formal

  intermediary

  when carrying information between parties is central

  not when An intermediary can represent interests and need not manage a resolution process.

• provocateur
• partisan
• agitator

• trained mediator

  A trained mediator helped the neighbors separate facts from assumptions.

• independent mediator

  The union and employer jointly selected an independent mediator.

• act as mediator

  She agreed to act as mediator only after disclosing the prior relationship.