Useful Tactics For Non Lethal Conflict Resolution

By Angel Dudley


Disputes are a normal part of life in a society where resources are scarce. In the organizational context, disagreements occur between individuals, between departments and even between organizations. The main reason for grievances is the interests, goals and priorities of different parties are incongruent. Disagreements may result in negative or positive results. If not quelled using non lethal conflict resolution strategies, negative incongruities may limit the performance of organizational units.

Reaching a consensus is the most beneficial result of an agreement. In this case, both parties practice empathy and try to work out a solution that fulfills the need of each opposing party. This approach seeks to find the underlying problem rather than fighting the symptoms. While this process may be time consuming, the consensus approach offers the best solution and reinforces the personal relationship between all parties.

Competition is a strategy that works by giving precedence to the demands of one party over those of an opposing group. Forcing works where the argument is likely to continue over a long period and time is a significant factor. Competition does not investigate the underlying causes of the problem, thus raising the likelihood that it might resurface.

The term compromise refers to a strategy that seeks to identify a practical solution to a disagreement by finding their common ground. By compromising, both parties give up some of their demands in order to arrive at the solution. This tactic does not face the underlying causes of a disagreement. Since the opponents lose some of the subject matter, they may later become disgruntled. This method is useful for moderately important objectives where direct coercion cannot be used.

Accommodation is entirely giving up your point of view or your interests for those of each opposing party. In this case, one party yields to the interests of the other entirely and voluntarily. This method is also referred to as smoothing. It can be used when you realize that your needs, goals or priorities are not as important as those of the other party. Some parties adopt this approach to buy time until they can respond better.

Withdrawal is a resolution strategy that works by ignoring the cause of problems and hoping that it will go away. Where the subject matter of a dispute is trivial, one party may choose to just walk away and give up their demands. This is usually the case if one party has more urgent matters. Nevertheless, avoiding a problem may result in bigger problems for the organization.

In some cases, management may give out an authoritative command on how to handle the dispute. The executives may issue a command without explaining their position or reasons to any party. This method saves time and shows who is in control.

Communication is important in solving intergroup disputes. In many instances, the opposing parties do not understand the value of the subject matter to other parties. For one to run an organization successfully, they have to learn the techniques of non lethal conflict resolution. This knowledge can also be used in social relationships.




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