There are three principal approaches to mediation, which have been dubbed facilitative, evaluative and transformative. Briefly, in the pure facilitative approach the mediator is never willing to offer an opinion of any kind. The evaluative mediator will freely offer his or her opinion about problems in your case, value of evidence, likelihood of success, reasonable settlement terms and the like. In transformative mediation, the goal is to alter the parties' relationship, by increasing understanding of the other party's position and introducing improved communication between the parties, as well of course as resolving the specific dispute between the parties. In the employment law context, the majority of mediators will employ techniques somewhere between purely facilitative and totally evaluative.
~ Excerpted from full article by Sara Adler at http://www.mediate.com/articles/sadler.cfm
My own approach is very flexible, and combines elements of all three approaches put forward by Adler. Conflict usually arrises as a result of mutually exlusive positions based on the perceived means of goal attainment. I try to keep clients focused on their ultimate goals rather than on their conflicts. Generally (but not always), each party's goals are more readily achieved by collaboration with the other parties, to achieve each others goals.