Quiz — What’s your LOVE, INC. specialty: Mediation, Matchmaking or Revenge?

In Love, Inc. Zahra is the company mediator, keeping the peace both between clients and between her volatile partners, Syd and Kali. Zahra's special skill is helping to get a relationship back on course. But when a romance has really hit the rocks, she's also good at negotiating the split. She deserves a gold medal for running interference!

Do you have what it takes to be a mediator?

a) Are you someone who sees the world in shades of gray, rather than black-and-white?

b) Do you sometimes feel like a hairdresser/therapist/bartender because everyone in your family or group of friends confides in you?

c) Can you see both sides of any situation and stay calm, no matter how many feathers are flying?

d) Have you ever brought two friends or family members back together by helping them understand each other’s point of view?

e) Do other people’s disagreements feel like messy, unfinished business?

Answer Key:

If you answered “yes” to three or more of the above, you are definitely mediator material.

Mediators are able to stand outside a situation and observe it objectively, rather than taking sides and getting emotionally involved. Mediators can see what each side really wants and can explain it in neutral terms that people are willing to hear. Better yet, mediators can turn a battle into a win-win situation by figuring out how each side can compromise just a little to make sure both sides are happy.

If you are a natural mediator, you will be the most popular person in your family and probably the sun around which all your friends orbit. People will lay their problems at your feet and expect you to solve them. That can be as stressful, as witnessing a disagreement is hard enough without getting involved. But it’s also empowering, because people trust you with their secrets and know you’ll help them sort things out. Everyone loves a peacemaker, and the more you develop your skills, the less likely you are to get caught in the crossfire.

What’s more, highly refined mediation skills can end up making you big bucks in your career. They’re pretty useful in a relationship, too!