Applying Conflict Resolution Practices in an Organizational Setting

There are both formal and informal practices and processes of conflict resolution, specifically mediation. While this article focuses on the organizational context of an academic setting, the points addressed herein can help in conflict resolution in any organization. There are informal practices applied to everyday life happening within interpersonal dynamics, as well as on a larger scale addressing systemic issues and concerns of a broader group of stakeholders. These can occur in everyday disagreements, change management processes, or deeper lines of discontentment, all stimulating forms of conflict.

This article is based on my participation on a panel for the Practice Development section that took place in September 2024. I highlighted eight points in response to a prompt about applying mediation practices in an academic setting. This was particularly salient at that time due to the ongoing reflection on the way universities managed the protest disruptions of the previous year and potentially might manage them this academic year as well.

I will add here that my background shapes my particular perspective; I’m not a lawyer, nor do I have any legal training, so my framing of conflict resolution is more from a social-psychological and communication orientation. I also want to stress that these are the eight points I identified from my work over the years in organizational, community, and academic settings, and by no means is it an exhaustive list, nor do I infer that other skills I may not have mentioned are not important. They probably are and perhaps we are saying the same thing, but wording it differently.

Here are the eight points with some rationale for their selection and the conflict resolution framing of each.

1. Secure senior leadership buy-in and identify the shared needs: This is important for several reasons. One is that in any organizational or community context, leaders carry more influence and set the tone for what is to follow, especially as it pertains to climate or culture. If others see that leadership deems this as an important topic or initiative, they will pay attention. It doesn’t mean that all stakeholders will agree with the direction the leader wants to take the organization, nor does it mean instantaneous buy-in from them. It provides clues as to how the leader is thinking and what the priorities are from their perspective. This sets the tone and direction for how resources will be allocated. Getting leaders on board for improved communication, understanding different perspectives, and engaging in collaborative processes can all bode well when there are strong disagreements, especially those that disturb the core mission of the entity. In this process, it is important to identify the core needs of the organization and the different stakeholder groups. Identifying common ground based on these needs to align the seemingly opposing parties is a starting point for fruitful conversations and decisions on course of action. We may need to go to higher and higher levels of meta-goals to reach this consensus. This may also include working with leaders to recognize the need for these types of interventions and to better understand and engage other stakeholder perspectives.
2. Engage stakeholders: One strong sentiment that stakeholders often express during times of conflict is that they do not feel heard, acknowledged, or respected. It is critical to hear the voices from representatives of all stakeholder groups for a number of reasons. First, you never know where a good idea will originate, and hearing from a diverse spectrum of voices ensures you are getting a more well-rounded take on a situation. These are also spaces in any organizational context that we may not have access to; therefore, we are not aware of what is happening there nor what the stakeholders’ concerns are. Second, providing spaces for these voices to be expressed and heard tells the individuals that we value them and their contributions even if we are unable to act on them exactly as they envision. It is also an important to clarify how their contributions will be used. If it is to inform decision making then that needs to be stated; otherwise, people will be looking for their ideas to be implemented. You certainly don’t want to create more tension by not being clear about the intentions of the ask for different perspectives, especially when they don’t see their input enacted.
3. Identify allies and champions: We certainly cannot do it all alone, nor should we! The more people engaged in these efforts the better the chance of them being integrated into everyday practices and succeeding. Champions lead the way and have influence over others. They may be opinion leaders even if they are not in the ranks of having positional power. Allies can have positional power and will do what they can from their managerial or leadership positions to implement conflict resolution practices. The expression “it takes a village” really holds true here. The approaches and communication styles of these different allies and champions are probably more targeted to their intended audiences and their appeal can be stronger.
4. Develop skills: We all may think we are good communicators. However, there’s always room for improvement. Deepening listening skills and learning how to feel and show empathy are critical interpersonal communication skills. Often, people want to feel heard and acknowledged and sometimes that is enough to lower defensive walls or resistance. On the flip side of listening, we must develop skills that help us express ourselves constructively. We also need the ability to identify underlying needs that inform the positional stances taken by different stakeholders. When we get caught up in conflicting positions we are more likely headed toward win-lose or lose-lose dynamics and outcomes. Shifting to focus on underlying needs allows for collaboration and win-win outcomes, fostering better quality relationships. These are all skills that can be learned and applied to strengthen our abilities so they eventually become second nature in our communication.
5. Create spaces for dialogue across differences: Intentional spaces are needed for this to happen effectively. It may not be a natural occurrence for people to gather of their own accord to engage in difficult conversations. Most don’t feel skilled enough to engage in conversations across differences and don’t like the way they feel because of unpleasant emotions that might emerge. Many are avoidant because they don’t feel confident to constructively manage emotional outbursts, their own or others. Organizations should set up spaces for facilitated dialogue about difficult topics to deepen understanding, not try to convince anyone to change their mind. This purpose needs to be communicated clearly and practiced so that people participate and not resist because they suspect they will be coerced into taking on a point of view with which they don’t agree. The more we understand each other, the more likely we are to identify areas of common ground and identify solutions that can be acceptable to a broader swath of stakeholders.
6. Expand perspective taking: We are so accustomed to our own ways of seeing the world that we may forget that not everyone sees the world in the same manner. One of the reasons for disagreements in organizations is that we stay within our own frames of reference and do not see that there are other frames. This is similar to the Sufi parable where twelve blind men are describing an elephant and each person is telling his truth based on the part of the elephant he is touching. They don't experience the elephant in the same way as the others do because they only describe the encounter from their own limited vantage. In turn, because their own experiences of the elephant differ so greatly and they are unaware of what another is experiencing, they disagree and discount the other person’s perspective as being untrue. Leaning into conversations with curiosity to understand more about another’s perspective, rather than judging it in comparison to our own, allows for more empathy and the realization that there are multiple perspectives and perhaps multiple ways to address a situation.
7. Align rules, systems, and structures to current reality: In looking for alignment, we are looking to ensure consistency in messaging including managing expectations and accountability. People create systems and structures. While there is a need for stability and predictability, there is also a need for adaptation as situations change. These systems will be more resilient if they are open systems and subject to influence as the needs of the people, the organization, and the marketplace shift. We also need to consider appropriate measures that will keep order and rules that we are able to uphold. If we are not able to implement rules we have established, if the measures we decide upon are considered too draconian, or if we do not hold people accountable for breaking the established rules, we lose credibility. Then we are functioning in chaos and anarchy, and trust is further eroded. It is much harder to come back from that fall, so it behooves us to try avoid that path in the first place.
8. Continue to assess and reassess to ensure we are meeting the needs of all stakeholder groups: Making progress is a good thing and in the process priorities may shift. There needs to be measures in place to do a climate check from time to time to see that we are meeting the needs of the various stakeholder groups. If we don’t make this a regular habit, then there is a chance something may be out of alignment and we may miss something that in turn festers beneath the surface. In these instances, we may think that no news is good news, but no news is just that: no news. We need to be attuned to these subtleties; otherwise, it will be too late when we notice them because they have escalated. Then we have an even bigger problem to resolve. Being proactive in recognizing tensions is much more effective than being reactive.

Applying these practices can improve quality of life for individuals and groups and, in turn, the organizational systems within which they function. Learning can take place in both formal and informal situations, and practice can take place anytime, anywhere. Everyday interactions provide opportunities for us to use any and all of these skills.