Dealing with conflict
Situation:Group agreement needed on priorities.Multiple conflicting solutions suggested. Lack of ownership in final plan feared. Changing mindset:Conflict is unpleasant. It is “hard to resolve.”We avoid it. A changed mindset is the first step to resolving “conflict,” while building ownership. It is easier to find common ground if we regard contradictory statements or desires as “differing options.” Solutions stated as “differing options” are neither “right” nor “wrong,” nor “good” nor “bad.” Go further. Seek and welcome more options, even if they seem to contradict. Finding common purpose:Common purposes are found through questioning. Any action has some form of motivating purpose. Ask what is hoped to be achieved if an action were successfully executed. A higher level statement of purpose will emerge. |
We naturally avoid conflict because it is unpleasant. But, what we think is conflict often isn’t. We just fear that it is. |
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Despite disparity in potential solutions, most
groups will find a set of common purposes which they
hope to achieve. Seek this common ground. Use it as
your framework.
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Example:
“Refurbish the theater,” and “Locate a new theater facility.” Two very different approaches to achieving something larger. Perhaps the common desire is to “Increasingly grow audience patronage and loyalty.” Agreement will be found more easily at this higher common purpose level. Additional common purpose statements will emerge through repetition of the same querying process. Hold off any discussion of differing options until a full set of common purpose statements have been elicited. |
Using the new framework for judgment:
You now have the framework for the evaluation of all options, contradictory or not.Reaching consensus on importance:
Dwaffler software enables a group to discuss and quickly reach agreement on the relative importance of the common purposes.Assessing the “differing options”:
All potential solutions are then assessed in terms of all common purposes. Their assessment scores are combined with the already-agreed-upon common purposes’ weighting.Why results are accepted:
Final top choices are accepted because of their cumulative strength in achieving the now fully embraced vision (the full set of common purposes). Ownership, built in.Contact Dwaffler to request a live demonstration
or for a no-cost preliminary discussion of your specific project.