Conflict management

Are you…

• Exasperated by an unpleasant work climate?
• Saddened by a broken friendship that you’d like to mend?
• Afraid for the worst should you express yourself honestly and at the same time worse off for not doing so?
• Wondering how your family business is going to survive once you’re no longer there, given the bad relationships between your children?
• Convinced that your neighbours will never respect you?
• Unable to have a constructive conversation with your partner?
• Endangering your friendship with siblings because you can’t agree on what to do about your elderly parents?
• Loosing your cool when the conversation becomes emotional for you or the person you’re talking with?

If you’ve responded “Yes” to one or more of these questions, some professional conflict management support could help you.

Are you a person who aspires to…

• Find a satisfying, longterm solution to challenges in your family business?
• Renew broken relationships with your siblings after settling a will?
• Reignite the joy and abandon in your love relationship?

Do you dream of living in a neighbourhood…

• Where discussing difficult topics doesn’t affect harmonious relationships?
• Where mutual support and collaboration reign?
• Where everyone’s opinion is carefully considered?

Are you a manager or professional who’d like…

• To be more at ease during emotional confrontations?
• To handle conflict by getting to the heart of the matter and finding creative, long-lasting solutions?
• To put an end to a situation involving psychological harrassment?

What is conflict management?

Managing conflict starts by recognizing that conflict is part of human relationships. It is a barometer for change, growth, involvement and committment by those implicated.

A healthy group is not one where there is no conflict, but one where conflicts are confronted and become the source of change, mutual comprehension, and increased confidence and participation.

The world’s oldest profession?

Evidence shows us that since the beginning of time, there have been mediators. What’s more, recent studies tell us that in situations of conflict, the simple presence of a third, neutral party helps those involved to discuss and view the problem in a different light. The mediator helps to facilitate a dialogue in which each party may speak and be heard clearly. This new way to “be” together brings increased confidence and mutual respect. Utimately, this balanced approach helps lead the way to creative, satisfying and durable solutions.

Prevention

Besides interpersonal communication training and team development, there are other, obviously difficult, situations that arrive; notably changes that affect an entire group of people or news that are difficult to deliver. It is in these situations that prevention plays an important role. Preparing for challenging conversations and possible responses or bringing along a coach or facilitator for these potentially painful moments can be a smart move. All organizations (from families to businesses) can benefit from a well planned process for dealing with conflict. What strategies will be put into action if the situation becomes heated? Who will we turn to when we’re not seeing things clearly? What is the plan, what are the steps to take to continue toward a solution (instead of remaining stuck at an impass)? It can be a crucial decision. The support of a conflict consultant can be of great help in making a judicious choice and anticipating the consequences.

Possiblities :

• Interpersonal communication training
• Conflict coaching
• Facilitator (discussions, meetings; one-on-one or groups)
• Conflict management systems

Intervention

Sometimes, no matter what, we end up in an irrreconcilable position, with neither able to listen or speak to each other in an acceptable tone; we are unable to objectively look at the situation at hand. It is at times like this, depending upon the value of the relationship in your professional or personal life, that aid from a third party can be effective – or necessary. Intervention can take several forms, follow different paths, consist of limited participants (2-3 people) or larger groups (10-50). From classic bi-partisan facilitation to renewal circles, it is the situation (length of time, intensity, complexity) that dictates the choice made by the person instigating the intervention and the mediator.

Possibilities :

• Mediation (2 or 3 people, groups)
• Renewal or restorative circles
• Conflict coaching

Reconciliation

It can often be difficult to sort things out following large conflicts and prolonged absences due to broken communication. People are irritable, avoiding or ignoring each other; rumours fly and the situation gets worse by the day. It is the right time to find a way to make a change, without creating further damage, in order to live together in harmony with our principles.

Possibilities :

• Restorative/renewal circles
• Team development
• Conflict coaching