Utilizing Your Conflict Resolution Capabilities

By Maria Rivera


Conflict Resolution will let you progress. Conflict comes from dissimilarities. It occurs whenever people differ over their ideals, motivations, perceptions, ideas, or desires. At times these differences look insignificant, but when a conflict activates powerful feelings, a deep personal want is at the heart of the problem. It is a desire to feel safe and sound, a desire to feel highly regarded and appreciated, or a need for greater closeness and intimacy. A good way to manage issues is by telling what's bothering you using I messages. I messages are a method for revealing the way we feel without fighting or blaming.

By starting with the word I we take responsibility for the way we comprehend the issue. This is in distinct contrast to you messages which put others on the defensive and shut down doors to interaction. A statement like, "You've left behind the room in pretty bad shape again! Can't you ever tidy up after yourself?" will increase the issue. Now check out how differently an I message comes across: "I'm frustrated because I figured we agreed you'd tidy up the room after working with it. So what happened?" When constructing "I" statements it's crucial that you avoid put-downs, guilt-trips, sarcasm, or negative body gestures.

We have to arrive from a spot inside that's non-combative and willing to bargain. A vital credo in conflict resolution is, "It's us up against the issue, not us against one another." "I messages" help us to share this. People tending on the avoiding style attempt to avert the conflict completely. This style is typified by assigning controversial decisions, accepting default decisions, and not wishing to hurt anyone's feelings. It can be appropriate when victory doesn't seem possible, if the debate is unimportant, or when someone else is in a better position to solve the issue. However in many situations this is a poor and inadequate strategy to use.

Once you comprehend the distinct styles, you may use them to look at the best fitting approach or combination of processes for the problem you're in. You can also think about your personal instinctive approach, and learn how you have to change this if necessary. Ideally you can adopt an approach that meets the situation, solves the problem, recognizes people's legitimate interests, and mends damaged working interactions. Here you are attempting to get to the underlying interests, requirements, and concerns. Ask for the other person's perspective and ensure that you regard his or her viewpoint and need his or her cooperation to fix the issue.

Conflict Resolution is really a skill. Try to understand his or her motivations and objectives, and see how your actions may be affecting these. Also, attempt to understand the conflict in objective terms: Is it having an effect on work performance? Is it damaging the delivery to the customer? Is it disrupting team work? Is it restricting decision-making? Be sure to concentrate on work issues and leave personalities out of the dialogue. Listen with sympathy and see the issue from the other person's perspective.




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