A little disagreement can easily escalate into a full-blown and enduring conflict due to our inability to manage our emotional responses and remember that, in any given interaction with another person, there are unique perspectives about what constitutes the truth. We need only look at the confusion caused when numerous people witness and report on a crime or other similar incident with multiple versions of the details and event.

Arguments arise when we hold onto our own version of the truth and demand others either see things our way, or suffer the consequences, usually in some form of withholding. Interestingly, both people are, to some extent, right: entitled to see things their way; and wrong: unwilling to entertain an alternative point of view.

In his book “Man’s Search for Meaning”, Victor E. Frankl states “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Frankl’s insight is at the heart of effective conflict resolution and offers a frame of reference for engaging in and working through conflict.

In this edition we take a closer look at how conflicts arise, why they can so easily escalate and how we can best coach our clients toward, not just acceptable but meaningful solutions for all people involved.

What would the world be like if each of us got better at noticing the space, and choosing wisely? Could we all become champions in conflict resolution?

Let’s find out!