As a mentor of mine used to quip, mediation is as easy as "C-A-K-E": commitment, authority, knowledge and expertise. Experience shows that if one of these key ingredients is missing, the results are often disappointing. The parties' investment of time and money in the process of resolving the dispute through mediation would itself seem to be a recipe for success. So why does this process sometimes fail? There are several common reasons why mediation efforts do not succeed despite seemingly reasonable efforts by both parties. Below are the issues I routinely see that get in the way of a successful mediation. These issues are all within the control of the parties and are easily avoided with a little thought and effort.