CONFLICT RESOLUTION & RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT...

… Appropriate Resolutions™ for home, work, community, and everywhere in between.

© 1998-2008 Joseph Ravick  and Appropriate Resolutions™

       As people and organizations enter into agreements, either written or understood, it is not uncommon that they find themselves challenged by misunderstandings and differences. These might be based on their individual memory about what was agreed, by the words heard or written, or about how the agreement wasn't, was, or will be put into action. 

       When negotiations on the issues arising out of a disagreement cannot be resolved to the relative satisfaction of those involved, people often choose alternatives to ‘dealing’ directly with each other. Such options which they perceive might more effectively meet their interests traditionally have involved win-lose, adversarial options such as litigation (the courts) or arbitration (private 'courts').

         On the other hand, individuals and organizations are increasingly choosing collaborative, strategic options such as mediation, conciliation or facilitated problem-solving to resolve their disputes. Reasons vary but almost without exception, such decisions are being made for one of two reasons: first for bottom-line financial considerations since it costs less to collaborate. Second, they want or need to maintain and manage relationships which they perceive 'important'.

       In the organizational context, the second may be more important than the first given the short and long-term negative consequences of ineffectively managed relationships with stakeholders on any organization. In workplaces for example, the likelihood of people in conflict working  together effectively is slim to none. And that's when consensual, collaborative conflict resolution processes become critical.

       With family-in-crisis situations, separations and divorces included, collaborative options become even more critical when children are involved. Let me say that it is a heart-wrenching experience watching two parents attack each other with words and emotions while their children look on and learn, often sitting and waiting in the background.

Collaborative, consensual and self-determining processes may mean facilitated negotiations with a trained and experienced impartial, 3rd party neutral. The process is then issue-driven and emotional interactions are effectively managed by the mediator-conciliator. In such situations, when successful, resolutions will relatively satisfy individual and common interests (needs).                                                                            ...still more about disputes...

 

Since "the best laid plans of mice and men"  often go ‘off the rails’, 

even the most effective preparation and forecasting sometimes cannot prevent disputes.