When disputes arise in business and personal relationships, it’s easy to avoid conflict in an effort to save the relationship. Nonetheless, it is possible to turn tense disputes into productive negotiations and maintain strong relationships. The importance of negotiation skills in these instances is paramount.
It’s not just dispute resolution that highlights the importance of negotiation, however. The right approach to negotiation can improve the situation of multiple parties.
Conflict resolution is the process of resolving a dispute or a conflict by meeting at least some of each side’s needs and addressing their interests. Conflict resolution sometimes requires both a power-based and an interest-based approach, such as the simultaneous pursuit of litigation (the use of legal power) and negotiation (attempts to reconcile each party’s interests). There are a number of powerful strategies for conflict resolution.
Knowing how to manage and resolve conflict is essential for having a productive work life, and it is important for community and family life as well.
