Managing a Conflict

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How do we manage a conflict depends on us, the situation, the actors, the core and the temperature of the conflict. There is no "the one wonder method" for a solution. Therefore before we (re)act in the conflict, we need to devote some time to look closely at it and analyze it.

First Step: Analysis

Since parties invoved in conflicts have different perspectives on the conflict sources, reasons or acceptable solutions, analysis helps all involved and affected to gain more information and a more rich perspective. It is a practical process of exploring and understanding. On this basis strategies for conflict management can be created.

Why do we need Analysis?

  • Gaining overview over the background and history as well as current events
  • Identifying all the relevant groups involved, not just the main or obvious ones
  • Understanding the perspectives of all these parties and their relations
  • Identifying factors and trends that underpin conflicts
  • Assessing appropriate options for conflict management
  • Assessing the scope for possible solutions

Hot vs. Cold Conflict

Depending on the temperature of the conflict there are different strategies for prevention and curation.

Hot conflict

The conflict stands in the foreground and affects all parties consciously on cognitive, emotional and behavioral level.

Cold conflict

Although affecting the parties, they are not necessarily aware of the conflict or they avoid it.


Prevention and Curation

Conflict Prevention

Measures that help prevent conflict from arising or growing. Such and similar measures could help to avoid conflicts arising from interaction in the group:

Conflict Curation

A framework (rules, space and facilitation), in which all involved parties can work out or manage the conflict. Conflict curation involves often third parties (mediator, moderator, supporter...)


Deescalation of Hot Conflicts

  • When a conflict threatens to go beyond the setting in which it can be resolved.
  • In example by: rationalizing conflict history and the source of conflict. Ensuring that basic needs of all involved parties are covered. Rules, mediation, separate talks with each party...


Escalation of Cold Conflicts

  • When avoiding a conflict disturbs more or creates more damage than tackling it.
  • When one party is under attack.
  • In example, by openly addressing problems, organising a confrontation meeting, openlybbacking the party under attack.

Action Strategy

Conflict Management includes the choice of the appropriate action strategy between fight and avoidance. All of these actions have advantages and disadvantages and each of them makes a certain type of solution feasable. Floyd (2019) proposes:

Fight or Competitive

  • Thanks to strength and power one person wins the conflict.

Collaboration

  • A win/win situation for all is searched for.

Compromise

  • Something between one party wins and win-win is searched for.

Avoidance

  • All try to bypass the conflict between them:

Accommodative

  • On the surface harmony, conflict underneath.

Assessment Criteria for Solutions

A double-sided interest in a dialogical solution is precondition for compromise or collaboration. Already this limitation makes clear, that compromise or cooperation would not always be the best choice and a conflict party has to choose among more action strategies.

One way to choose might be an assessment of the most feasable solution to which a type of action will lead. By fighting one could win, but also loose all - and the loosing party will find this solution not very sustainable or fair. Compromise, however, involves sharing . But for this you need something that the other party is interested in and what you are willing to give...

Criteria for solutions might help us:

  • To choose the appropriate conflict strategy by answering: What do I or we potentially win with a concrete action type
  • To assess the quality of a compromise or a mutual agreement

Sustainability

  • How sustainable might be the solution?

Prevention

  • Does it feasably prevent further, new conflicts?

Limitation

  • Might it hedge the conflict?

Efficiency

  • Might the solution be effective in terms of balancing time effort, personal involvement and quality of the solution?

Fairness

  • Might the outcome be fair?

Acceptance

  • To what extent might the involved people be satisfied with the result?

Source

  • Bildungsziel: Bürger - Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg
  • Konflikte in interkulturellen Gruppen by Andreas Foitzik, Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg
  • Working with Conflict: Skills and Strategies for Action by S.Fisher, D.Ibrahim Abdi, J.Ludin, R.Smith, S.Williams, S.Williams, Zed books, London, 2000
  • Kory Floyd; Interpersonal Communication: The whole story, 2019