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Part II: The Collaborative Approach to Conflict

Beliefs Underlying the Collaborative Approach

  • Conflict is part of an ongoing cycle of change; it is to be expected as a part of human interaction.
  • Conflict itself is neither good nor bad. How people interact in conflict influences whether it leads to desirable or undesirable outcomes.
  • Conflicts develop from a variety of situations and interactions.
  • Specific disputes are often symbols of deeper, underlying conflicts.
  • Humans tend to defend their own perception of a conflict situation, and adversarial dynamics tend to develop.
  • It is best to establish a cooperative approach to conflict resolution before the conflict has developed into an adversarial pattern.
  • Many conflicts that are avoided, battled out, or stalemated may be resolved by a collaborative approach.
  • Relationships between people are influenced by their interactions. Cooperative approaches improve the quality of interactions and relationships.
  • The awareness of conflict dynamics, shifts in thinking, and the use of collaborative skills and strategies enhances a person’s abilities to set a conflict in a cooperative direction.

Goals of the collaborative approach

Conflicts involve relationships, issues, and individuals. The collaborative approach to conflict resolution aims to:

  • Improve or repair relationships by increasing understanding between the parties, thereby diminishing or eradicating the tension between them.
  • Provide outcomes to issues that result in gains to both parties.
  • Provide parties with a positive experience of the conflict engagement process.

Conditions that support collaboration

The collaborative approach to conflict resolution will work best when the following conditions exist:

  • Recognition by the parties that a conflict exists.
  • Desire to resolve the conflict.
  • Willingness to try a collaborative approach.
  • Willingness to depersonalize the conflict and to work together on issues.
  • Collaborative conflict resolution competencies gained through education.

License

Foundations of Collaborative Conflict Resolution Copyright © 2017 by Justice Institute of British Columbia, Centre for Conflict Resolution. All Rights Reserved.