Designing Conflict Resolution Systems

A Conflict Resolution System is any process that can either prevent conflict or address conflict effectively, whether such conflict occurs between people or amongst groups within or between organizations. While people often behave badly during conflict, the possibility of profound personal and organizational learning and growth is always present in every conflict we encounter.  As Henry David Thoreau writes, “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”  Conflict resolution systems are the foundation.

Unresolved conflicts within organizations can turn into a self-perpetuating cycle, negatively affecting mission, productivity, and relationships among colleagues. Conflict resolution systems create and implement processes to allow for consistent, fair, regular methods for addressing and resolving any disputes that arise.  Conflict resolution systems also formalize dispute resolution practices, thereby increasing the ability of all involved to learn from the conflict and to improve their conflict resolution skills. The resources required to develop an effective conflict resolution system are not negligible -- but are far less than the negative costs of organizational dysfunction.

Reasons to Design Conflict Resolution Systems

• Prevent conflicts before they occur
• Reduce the risks and costs of conflicts once they arise
• Create inexpensive internal processes to manage and resolve conflict and to provide a fair, fast, internal forum for final resolution
• Improve employee, co-worker, team, and organizational morale, peace, productivity, and focus on mission
• Pinpoint and resolve the underlying reasons that created the problem, decreasing the likelihood of its occurring again
• Allow organizations to respond not only to single disputes, but to the stream of disputes that arise in all organizations, thereby promoting synergy, so that the whole organization benefits

Elements of an Effective Conflict Resolution System

There are several elements of creating and maintaining an effective conflict resolution systems within organizations. A well-implemented conflict system contains options for identifying and resolving issues early and when conflict persists. It also needs to have the support of leadership at all levels of the organization, with adequate resources--time, labor, money-- for the system to function well. The system should incorporate incentives for regular, effective use and operation of the system/processes.

All interested parties are included and invited to participate fully in designing and implementing content, process, and relationships. The system is maintained by participants or a body composed of representatives from all key groups, while promoting a culture that seeks to solve problems at the lowest level through direct discussion and negotiation. Diversity and honest differences are viewed as sources of dialogue and understanding, leading to better ideas, healthier relationships, and greater unity. Everyone’s interests are accepted as legitimate, acknowledged, and satisfied wherever possible, consistent with others’ interests.

Openness, authenticity, appreciation, and empathy are regarded as better foundations for communication and decision-making than secrecy, rhetoric, insult, and demonization. Dialogue, open-ended questions, curiosity, cooperation, and collaboration are practiced as methods; force, violence, coercion, aggression, humiliation, and domination are rejected, both as methods and as outcomes. People are invited into heartfelt, communications and inner reflection, and encouraged to reach resolution, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Attention is paid to emotions, subjectivity, and feelings, as well as to logic, objectivity, and facts and recognizes existing organizational culture and conflict narratives. Chronic conflicts are traced to their systemic sources, where they can be prevented and redesigned to discourage repetition.