Snyder: Why Video Mediations Are Like Early Personal Computers

Wednesday, April 8, 2020 | 0

You may have heard the acronym RTFM. As soon as everyday consumers started using computers, telephone customer support staff had to field daily questions about the most basic functions.

Teddy Snyder

Perhaps the most infamous is about the user who insisted that a floppy disk drive (remember those?) was a cup holder. What the tech people wanted to yell was, “READ THE (expletive) MANUAL!”

Read the mediation instructions

I send instructions to participants in every one of my mediations. Over time, these instructions have gotten so specific that they even include directions on what topics to include in the mediation brief.

For better or worse, I am no longer disheartened when it is painfully obvious that parties have paid no attention to the instructions. We simply carry on.

Instructions for video mediations

Shelter-in-place orders have drastically increased the use of video platforms for remote mediation. It’s really important to prepare for video mediation by READING THE INSTRUCTIONS. These include information about:

• How to sign in.
• Acceptable remote locations.
• Wi-Fi requirements.
• Device requirements.
• What happens if a computer goes down.
• Unlike in-person mediations, failure to read video mediation instructions can prevent the mediation from going forward.

Courts may be closed, but the disputes go on. You can get those disputes resolved during a shutdown with video mediation.

Attorney Teddy Snyder mediates workers' compensation cases throughout California. She can be contacted through WCMediator.com.