Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is the process of resolving a dispute or a conflict by meeting at least some of each side’s needs and addressing their interests. Conflict resolution sometimes requires both a power-based and an interest-based approach, such as the simultaneous pursuit of litigation (the use of legal power) and negotiation (attempts to reconcile each party’s interests). There are a number of powerful strategies for conflict resolution.

Knowing how to manage and resolve conflict is essential for having a productive work life, and it is important for community and family life as well. Dispute resolution, to use another common term, is a relatively new field, emerging after World War II. Scholars from the Program on Negotiation were leaders in establishing the field.

Strategies include maintaining open lines of communication, asking other parties to mediate, and keeping sight of your underlying interests. In addition, negotiators can try to resolve conflict by creating value out of conflict, in which you try to capitalize on shared interests; explore differences in preferences, priorities, and resources; capitalize on differences in forecasts and risk preferences; and address potential implementation problems up front.

These skills are useful in crisis negotiation situations and in handling cultural differences in negotiations, and can be invaluable when dealing with difficult people, helping you to “build a golden bridge” and listen to learn, in which you acknowledge the other person’s points before asking him or her to acknowledge yours.

Articles offer numerous examples of dispute resolution and explore various aspects of it, including international dispute resolution, how it can be useful in your personal life, skills needed to achieve it, and training that hones those skills.

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Sad Negotiators, Poor Outcomes?

PON Staff   •  05/24/2011   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution, Daily

Adapted from “How Mood Affects Negotiator Trust,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter, September 2006.

In recent years, social psychologists have begun to explore connections among emotions, negotiation, and decision making. Negotiation contributor Jennifer S. Lerner of Carnegie Mellon University and her colleagues have identified two critical themes. First, they have studied the carryover of emotion … Read Sad Negotiators, Poor Outcomes?

Unlocking Labor Disputes

PON Staff   •  05/23/2011   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution, Daily

Adapted from “How the Writers Got Back to Work,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter, May 2008.

When labor talks reach a stalemate, negotiators may be able to get back on track by avoiding extreme demands, thinking carefully about the other side’s point of view, negotiating in smaller groups, and enlisting the help of a neutral … Read Unlocking Labor Disputes

Dr. Ury featured in Washington Post article on debt ceiling negotiations

PON Staff   •  05/20/2011   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution

In a recent article published in the Washington Post, Dr. William Ury, co-founder of the Program on Negotiation, suggests that Republicans and Democrats hammering out a deal on the national debt ceiling could benefit from the experience of negotiators.

Professional negotiators know that certain tactics can backfire in tense situations.  Issuing ultimatums, publicly criticizing your counterpart, … Learn More About This Program

Other People’s Interests: How Two Sisters Can Share a Diamond Ring

PON Staff   •  05/20/2011   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution

Tufts Magazine: Negotiating Life

Jeswald W. Salacuse (Henry J. Baker Professor of Law; former Dean, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University; author of The Global Negotiator and Seven Secrets for Negotiating with Government)

The first rule of negotiation is to understand both your own and the other person’s interests. Easier said than done. In this … Learn More About This Program

Negotiating Across Borders

PON Staff   •  05/16/2011   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution, Daily

Adapted from “Hidden Roadblocks in Cross-border Talks,” by James K. Sebenius (professor, Harvard Business School), first published in the Negotiation newsletter, September 2009.

Imagine you are leading a team that will soon be negotiating for the first time in several foreign countries. You’ve researched likely cultural factors, such as differences in etiquette or risk taking, while … Read Negotiating Across Borders

Three Steps for Crisis Prevention

PON Staff   •  05/13/2011   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution

Michael D. Watkins and Max H. Bazerman (Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School)

Leaders who don’t prepare for predictable surprises make their companies vulnerable unnecessarily. In this article, the authors outline a three-step process for recognizing, prioritizing and mobilizing for disasters that can be foreseen.

Read More … Read Three Steps for Crisis Prevention

Shapiro named 2011 Burke Global Health Fellow

PON Staff   •  04/28/2011   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution, Daily, News

Professor Daniel Shapiro, Associate Director of the Harvard Mediation Project, has been selected as one of four 2011 Burke Global Health Fellows by the Harvard Global Health Institute. During his fellowship, Professor Shapiro will develop materials for a new Harvard course designed to train leaders on how to mediate conflicts with a strong emotional or … Read Shapiro named 2011 Burke Global Health Fellow

Could Your Power Trip Backfire?

PON Staff   •  04/26/2011   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution

Adapted from “When You Hold All the Cards,” by Guhan Subramanian (professor, Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School), first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

Being the more powerful party in a negotiation doesn’t guarantee a free ride. Specifically, legal rules may constrain your actions. In particular, the courts might read additional terms into the deal … Read Could Your Power Trip Backfire?

Investigative Negotiation

PON Staff   •  03/25/2011   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution

Max H. Bazerman (Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School) and Deepak Malhotra (Associate Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School)

Negotiations can hit a brick wall because one party wrongly assumes they understand the other side’s motivations and therefore don’t explore them further. In this article, the authors discuss five principles underlying … Read Investigative Negotiation

Dealing with the ‘Irrational’ Negotiator

PON Staff   •  02/25/2011   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution, Daily

Max H. Bazerman (Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School) and Deepak Malhotra (Associate Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School)

You don’t have to let a recalcitrant negotiator derail your progress. In this article, the authors describe strategies and tactics to overcome another party’s counterproductive behavior and keep the deal on track.

Read … Read Dealing with the ‘Irrational’ Negotiator

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