Negotiation

Negotiation can be described as one or more meetings at which attempts are made to reach an agreement through discussion and a series of concessions among two or more individuals. This is the underlying process for every other conflict resolution/alternative dispute resolution process, except for avoidance and self-help. Negotiation is also how most conflicts are resolved, usually since the process is informal, voluntary, and nonbinding. In addition, the participants of the conflict remain in control of the outcome of the process.

Mediation

Mediation is a form of aided negotiation involving a third party not currently participating in the dispute. Mediation can be formally defined as the intervention by a third party between two or more sides in a dispute to help them reach an agreement. The third parties in this process are called mediators. Mediators are not commissioned to render a decision but to guide the participants in reaching a mutually satisfactory agreement.