Gas and Water

 The following blog presents some very good conflict resolution.  In my opinion, a true leadership has the ability to seek to understand before being understood (From Covey) and based on that, conflict resolution can be such an empowering process.  So, the simple question is, in your leadership ability are you putting gas on the flame, or are you putting water?

http://www.entrepreneur.com/humanresources/employeemanagementcolumnistdavidjavitch/article205490.html

So what positive steps can leaders take to minimize the negative aspects of conflict?

1. Realize that conflict is natural and happens all the time. 
2. Stress the positive aspects of conflict; just because tension arises, the world is not going to collapse. In fact, if handled well, conflict often leads to innovation.
3. Realize that conflict can be handled in a positive way that leads to personal and professional growth, development and productivity.
4. Encourage others to bring up conflict and differences. Allowing them to fester inevitably encourages them to erupt later, usually at a most inopportune time.
5. Identify the root cause(s) of the conflict. You can't begin to unravel the potential negativity in conflict and look toward progress until you determine the source of the issue.
6. Look at the issue from all sides. Inspect the positive and negative factors that each party sees to fully comprehend what is at stake.
7. Devise a complete list of actions to address the issue; ensure that each party believes that he/she has had input in the final product or decision.
8. Decide on the step that best addresses and resolves the issue. Again, all parties need to see that they have had input into this step.
9. Agree on whatever next steps are necessary to implement the mutually agreed-upon action.
10. Review the process that you used to arrive at the final decision, hoping to implement a similar successful plan when negative conflict next arises.

An effective leader is willing to address spoken and unspoken negative tension and helps transform it into positive, productive tension that leads to increased understanding of the issues, the parties involved and the final outcome.

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David G. Javitch, Ph.D., is Entrepreneur.com's "Employee Management" columnist, an organizational psychologist and president of Javitch Associates, an organizational consulting firm in Newton, Mass. With more than 20 years of experience working with executives in various industries, he's an internationally recognized author, keynote speaker and consultant on key management and leadership issues.