At work, at home, everywhere in our lives we encounter conflict. They can come in a wide variety of variations and situations, and resolving them requires a lot from us. One often tries to avoid an escalation, but this does not have to be the only solution; and definitely not the best.
In addition to conflict resolution, which is often already known, this article also deals with conflict prevention and the methods and practices that help us to avoid conflicts from the start or even to be able to turn them to a positive result.
Where does a conflict begin... and where can we start?
A conflict is the process of an altercation due to differing opinions, views, or interests Objectives by two parties. These parties can consist of two employees, an employee and a boss, spouses, several opposing groups or many other constellations.
We speak of a conflict when these opinions clash and result in a negotiation or argument. Nevertheless, dissatisfaction already exists before a conflict situation arises. However, avoiding an escalation does not reduce the dissatisfaction. Instead, the emotions and dissatisfaction will continue to accumulate and pop like a balloon.
It doesn't have to come to that. This is where coaching for conflict management comes in. In the case of conflicts that have been postponed for a long time and have now become much larger, the Coach As a third party, help one or more people to gain a neutral perspective on the conflict. This helps them to approach the problem objectively and in a solution-oriented manner; the people learn to recognize the views of their counterparts and can reach a result together that both sides are satisfied with. The coach gives the people very specific information here ability of emotional intelligence and helps to identify the actual conflict in the first place.
What are the aspects of conflict resolution?
So the parties are in conflict. Among other things, they disagree on what color the walls of the new house should be painted. This can be seen in the first step. However, recognizing disagreement is not always so easy. The actual conflict can also arise or be intensified by faulty communication, emotions associated with the conflict, or insufficient conflict management.
Now one is faced with the task of resolving the conflict in such a way that it will not flare up again or even produce positive changes for the future. Since every conflict is very different, coaching for conflict management helps to solve individual conflicts in different ways.
A general approach is here:
The goal should always be a win-win situation. Problems are analyzed factually, both sides are open to cooperation in order to implement their respective interests, and several options are presented, which may differ from the concrete positions of both sides, but in the end the desired one for both sides change Offer.
So even if one side was in favor of a white house wall, while the other side preferred a light gray, you can find a solution that makes both feel like their interests have been met. Maybe it will end up being a house with white walls and a gray garage next door, you never know.
What is meant by positive change?
Resolving a conflict is actually always positive. But coaching for conflict management starts much earlier. It's not just about solving existing conflicts, but in particular giving people the ability to solve conflicts independently or even prevent them from happening.
The keyword is conflict prevention. Anyone who can recognize impending conflicts at an early stage and knows how to react to them will ensure satisfaction and a positive atmosphere in their environment. Managers in particular benefit from such coaching, as they identify and resolve conflicts within their company early on, which contributes to a pleasant working atmosphere overall.
Let's move on to the positive changes mentioned. If a desired change does not occur over a long period of time and every effort has been unsuccessful, then a conflict is often the only thing that helps. It is important to understand that conflict always means change, but it is not necessarily negative. Through its management, we can let conflicts lead to a certain change and promote our future independently.
At the workplace it looks like this: All employees have been exhausted for several months. The workload has simply become too great over time. A manager who has mastered conflict management knows how to deal with it. Before the work becomes even more than enough or even employees are fired, which of course would not solve the problem itself, the manager recognizes the problem and reduces the workload. As a result, employees here are not only happier and can pursue their work with more joy, but are also more effective and find the ease of their work again.
Who does coaching for conflict management help?
Right now it was mainly about managers and conflicts in the workplace. It is important for each of us to recognize how we deal with conflicts ourselves and what we can do to improve it. In the short term, many want to increase their own profits, but in a successful cooperation and long-term relationship it is incredibly important to find a positive solution for both sides. This includes recognizing, naming and analyzing the conflict situation as well as general respect, communication and clear regulations that help to approach the problem objectively and openly in the event of a conflict.
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