Having a posture of curiosity instead of criticism is critical to understanding and problem solving. Assuming positive intent, asking questions and listening to understand instead of listening to respond are all important (but sometimes hard) things to practice during conflict.

Just as important as having the skills to properly respond to conflict is knowing how to prevent it! Prevention happens at every level, including the company level, which we can assist leadership with via our consulting services.

Problem solving is most effective when you can find solutions that are a win/win/win. A win for the customer. A win for the company. A win for the employee or team. Not always possible, but certainly something to strive for. 

Dealing with conflict is one of the easiest ways to burn out, especially if you don’t have strong boundaries. It’s important to take ownership of the situation, and do everything you can to influence a positive outcome. However, it’s also important to remember that there will be circumstances and people you cannot control. What we want to prevent is letting those things outside of our control impact our confidence or ability to move on from the situation.