The one constant in life is
change.
Today, all organizations and the people within them are
experiencing more rapid change than ever before. And hand in hand with change is
the certainty of conflict. Conflict uses up individual, group and organizational
energy, taking this energy away from constructive and productive relationships
and work.
With the right conditions, a great deal of conflict can be solved without
any need for a conflict resolution meeting. Sometimes love is the key ingredient
that breaks through the conflict, at other times something bigger and more
important arises and minimizes the focus on the conflict, and at other times a
common task is found and while working through the common task, the conflict
disappears. However, there are also situations of conflict that benefit from a
conflict resolution meeting.
There are many forms of meetings for working with conflict, including
mediation and negotiation. Sometimes these work to solve conflict, and other
times they work towards an agreement or a compromise but the conflict itself
remains quite alive, often under the surface, only to erupt again later.
Our Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution meeting format was designed
to create the conditions for the people involved to really solve the conflict.
In developing this approach, we followed the philosophy that deep within all
people are some things that are universally the same. People engaged in conflict
are usually fixed in one perspective. They rarely ask each other genuine
questions. They also tend to lose contact with their whole selves, rendering a
part of themselves voiceless. From this position, they are unable to participate
fully and effectively in efforts to resolve the conflict and recognize the needs
they have in common.
Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution is a practical, holistic meeting
process for working through conflict. Within the meeting, that which is
universally the same amongst people is worked with as a base. However, before
the meeting, and continuing through our process, we've found it is also
beneficial to work with the individual's fixed perspective, enabling them to
move beyond their own view. Within our conflict resolution process, participants
receive individual preparation so that when everyone comes together in the
meeting, they are in a more receptive state, and ready to listen to each other.
The Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution meeting creates the
conditions for people to truly communicate - to speak and to listen to each
other. Participants then move on to do creative problem solving together.
Finding the solution to conflict is really about creative problem solving. Once
a solution is agreed upon, agreements are signed that include contingency plans.
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