CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Our Approach

Good Conflict Versus Bad Conflict
Conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. It often signals the presence of creativity and impassioned colleagues voicing their ideas. But conflict becomes unhealthy when it is between people rather than ideas. Within organizations, this type of conflict is a pernicious force that undermines the performance of entire teams.

How Much Is Unhealthy Conflict Costing Your Organization?
The organizational costs of unhealthy conflict are staggering. (Click here for an itemization of those costs ). And most organizations experience a large degree of such conflict. Yet, this conflict and its attendant costs are unnecessary and avoidable.

Different Approaches for Different Types of Conflict
We resolve unhealthy conflict using sophisticated techniques we calibrate for each situation. In general, we use one of three approaches:

• Mediation Approach: For conflict that is discrete in scope or that involves a small number of people. This approach is described below.
  
• Team-Building Approach: For conflict that is broad in scope and that involves either a large number of people or an entire team. This approach is explained under our team development offerings.
  
• Training Approach: For less pressing conflicts and for clients who wish to learn how to resolve future conflict internally. Our conflict resolution training is described below .

The Mediation Approach to Conflict Resolution
In our mediations, conflict is efficiently and expeditiously resolved in the great majority of cases. In fact, we enjoy a success rate of over 80%. Our practice is to identify the primary parties in dispute and bring them together in one or more meetings facilitated by a consultant. The consultant—or "mediator"—is a neutral expert in dispute resolution. He creates a context in which the dispute can be safely discussed and resolved to the satisfaction of all involved.

Setting Ground Rules for Safety
As a crucial first step in the mediation process, we mutually identify and agree upon ground rules that ensure safety for all the participants. This step is essential as the strong emotions often present can create discomfort and defensiveness that block discussion and resolution. Typical ground rules include the following:

• Every participant has a full opportunity to speak.
  
• Every participant is respected in the words and conduct of each other.
  
• The mediator maintains absolute neutrality.
  
• The proceedings are strictly confidential unless the parties agree otherwise.
  

Techniques that Ensure a Win-Win Process
In addition to the ground rules, we use a number of other elements that help ensure successful mediation outcomes:

• The focus is on the parties’ needs and concerns, not positions.
  
• Each person’s views are heard and respected.
  
• Each participant comes to understand and appreciate the others’ needs, concerns and perspectives.
  
• The mediator facilitates the generation of creative options for resolution.
  

A final point: The mediator is acutely attuned to the emotions and threats to self-worth that are often present in disputes, thereby blocking resolution. As a skilled psychologist, he helps the parties navigate past these obstacles.

Mediation Outcomes
As a result of the mediation process, resolution typically unfolds efficiently and naturally. Mediation outcomes have these characteristics:

• As each participant must agree to the outcome, there are no losers. Everyone wins.
  
• Thus, the level of satisfaction is typically high.
  
• The results have benefits beyond resolving the dispute at hand:
  
  • By creating mutual understanding, they strengthen the relationships between the parties.
    
  • By creating a model for future interactions, they help prevent any future conflict.
    
  • And in the event there is future conflict, the process creates a successful model for resolving it quickly.
    

Conflict Resolution Training Is Also Available
Even better than having a conflict resolved is learning how to resolve conflict oneself. For parties to conflict and for others wishing to resolve it, we offer the three-hour class, Powerful Tools for Resolving and Transforming Conflict. Class participants are provided specific toolsets for quickly achieving resolution of conflict so that all involved parties are highly satisfied.