No two people in this world are the same. Every single person is blessed with a mind of their own that guides them to think, judge, and respond to situations differently. The differences between psyches, approaches, and opinions are major causes that give rise to conflicts.
When two people with different mindsets fail to agree to a situation, the intensity of the situation escalates, and the involved parties fail to reconcile. You may want to altogether run away or avoid all conflicts, but, in many situations, resolving the conflict and coming to a mutual agreement becomes a necessity.
If you have faced such conflicts, here are some tips that will help you go through the intense negotiation process with ease and come out with a meaningful settlement.
- Two ears, one mouth – maintain the ratio
“We have two ears and one mouth, so we can listen twice as much as we speak”, claimed Epictetus, a famous Stoic philosopher. Perhaps you would doubt the potency of this statement, but listening during a conflict can make all the difference in the outcome.
If either party refuses to listen during a conflict and keeps forcing their point of view, the negotiation is sure to go sour. To compromise and find a solution, calm down, and listen to what the other person has to say.
If you want to be heard, you must be willing to listen first. An act as simple as listening can give you new perspectives on the conflict. Seeing it in a new light can pave the way for a solution.
Moreover, listening carefully during a conflict will help you understand the true desires and position of the opposite party and find strong counter-arguments.
- Let the situation unfold
Patience always paves the way for successful conflict resolution. Like active listening, having patience helps you contemplate the situation better. It gives you an insight into the condition of the conflict and lets you process the best options to put forward.
Letting the situation unfold patiently keeps aggression and confusion from dominating your mind. It creates a sense of stability where you look at the problem without bias and helps you find ways to resolve the conflict.
Being calm while the other party lays out their arguments also helps you keep a firm grip over the disagreement and stops the situation from getting worse.
- Communicate towards a common benefit
Good communication is the strongest pillar of conflict resolution. If you are already in a situation where the conflict has set in motion, double down on your power to communicate clearly. Effective communication bridges the gap of miscommunication.
While negotiating, speak up and be clear. Communicate everything that has been doing rounds in your mind, from the problems you are facing to the resolution possibilities that you see. Instead of thinking -how do I get my way, think, how do we come to a mutual compromise.
- Letting provocations pass
The process of conflict resolution takes an ugly form when a party uses provocation as their tool to elicit an emotional response. This is an old tactic that people use to get the upper hand in the discussion.
You may be slapped with demeaning statements to push you over the edge. But, you must realize that an emotional response is a very motive behind this tactic. An angry outburst from your end will only be in their favor. Hence, in an intense discussion, do not yield an emotional response.
The best way to counter their move is by taking a break, nullifying their remarks by a positive interpretation, stating the facts that favor you, or simply seeing it for what it really is and letting it pass.
A high threshold to provocation is always going to play in your favor.
Conclusion
All conflicts come to an end, but how they end depends on you. With these tips, you can keep yourself composed, prove your point, and manage to come to a mutual agreement without losing your cool or pushing the other party, or yourself, over the edge.
***
Author Bio: Larry Alton is a blogger and passionate writer at Managerteams.com. She loves cooking and is fond of travelling.