How can you use narrative mediation to reframe perspectives?

1 Step 1: Identify the dominant narrative

The dominant narrative is the story that the parties have adopted or accepted as the truth about their conflict. This narrative can involve labels, assumptions, and judgments that reinforce their positions and blame the other side. To identify the dominant narrative, you should ask questions such as what is the main problem that you are facing, how do you describe yourself and the other party in relation to this problem, how does this problem affect your life and your relationship, and what are the consequences of this problem for the future. Understanding the dominant narrative can help you better understand the conflict and how to address it.

2 Step 2: Deconstruct the dominant narrative

Deconstructing the dominant narrative involves breaking it down into its components and examining how it was formed, maintained, and influenced by various factors. To do this, ask yourself questions such as: how did you come to believe this story? What evidence do you have to support it? Who else has contributed to this story or agrees with it? How does this story serve your interests or needs? And, what are the limitations or drawbacks of this story? Answering these questions can help you understand the narrative better and identify any potential biases.

3 Step 3: Elicit alternative narratives

Alternative narratives are stories that present different perspectives, interpretations, or possibilities for the parties and their conflict. They tend to emphasize positive aspects, strengths, values, or goals that are not always visible. To elicit alternative narratives, you can ask questions such as if there are any times when the parties acted or felt differently than the dominant narrative suggests, if there are any aspects of themselves or the other party that the story does not capture or acknowledge, if there are any other ways of looking at the situation or problem, what changes or goals would they like to achieve in the situation or relationship, and what resources or supports do they have or need to make these changes or achieve these goals.

4 Step 4: Co-construct a new narrative

Co-constructing a new narrative involves creating a story that reflects the parties' preferred outcomes and identities, as well as finding common ground, mutual respect, and shared vision for the future. To achieve this, you can ask questions such as how to combine the alternative narratives, how to describe each party in a more positive way, how to address the issue in a constructive manner, what steps are needed to implement the new story, and how to celebrate progress. Narrative mediation is an effective tool that can reframe perspectives and transform conflicts. By using these four steps, you can help parties to move from a problem-saturated and adversarial story to a solution-focused and cooperative one.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?