Then each man was asked to tell his story of the incident, through which the real issues came to light. It transpired, that in his pain the injured man had sworn at his colleague, bringing up instant anger and resentment from his past.
He related some previous experiences he had undergone in his country of origin which had caused him mental anguish at the time.
He then went on to say how horrified he was when the accident occurred, and that he had had no intension of hurting his mate.
The injured man accepted the story and said he would like to be able to settle things down and work together again. He came up with some protocols to ensure an accident like this would not happen again.
It was agreed.
The mediator was happy with this outcome and then surprised when the other party suddenly stated categorically that, no he still didn’t want to work with his mate and got up and left.
The mediator debriefed with the injured man and thanked him for his forgiving attitude and willingness to engage in the process.
That evening the mediator sent both men an email thanking them for their openness and participation in the process. The next day both men responded positively and with thanks for the opportunity to get things out in the open.
Both said they had learnt things about themselves