Here's how you can excel in a conflict resolution career by being adaptable.

Focus on interests vs. positions. I am rereading Getting to Yes by William Ury. This is an enlightening book which answers the posed question chapter by chapter. I substitute needs, financial, personal and unmet, for interests. To keep current in my conflict resolution skills, I am immersed in the above mentioned book and to my upcoming mediation training at Northwestern University. Learning is an ongoing requirement to be effective in the ADR field.

conflict is good to bringin a difeerence on our life, if we manage it constructively! we need to look at it through blend of normative and descriptive perspectives.

Getting to Yes has several chapters that address the importance of active listening. I picked up a valuable tip which is to add reaffirming comments and acknowledgements to demonstrate that you are indeed listening to the speaker. If the speaker realizes that you are listening, it goes a long way toward reaching an understanding. People desire to be heard and to get the issues off of their chest. Active listening facilitates the realization of this quality in effective communications.

Emotional Intelligence is a challenging topic and requires many hours of listening, gathering and processing. Using your talented soft skills that you have built up through years of experiences and outcomes (Good and bad). Your ability to select the most effective method for each situation that requires your Emotional Intelligence tolerance in respecting boundaries of what you share and providing feedback that would create a new point of view that could change and generate choices. Choices that make a pathway to options. I am always looking for a buy in that could lead us both to the same goals and objectives. This is where I become a true source with an firm understanding in connecting the dots to the next level. We both benefit greatly.

EI goes hand in glove with active listening. Over the years, I've deliberately practiced and cultivated active listening more and speaking less. When I have something to say, I expect to make germane comments rather than speak for its own sake.

While problem-solving indeed forms the foundation of conflict resolution, it's crucial to identify the underlying interests of each party before formulating solutions. Adapting this skill involves curiosity, prompting us to dig deeper into motivations and perspectives of all involved. By seamlessly blending logical thinking with empathy, we can craft solutions that create additional value. Additionally, out-of-the-box thinking entails borrowing solutions from other contexts and applying them innovatively to the current situation to meet the interests of the parties. Let's commit to refining our problem-solving abilities by prioritizing understanding, empathy, and solutions that meet the interests of the parties.

Continually advancing your skills is important. There are many ways to do this: Have a coach. Read (trade journals, white papers, books, articles, etc.) Listen to podcasts from experts. Join a community of practice. These are a few ways of many to continue your professional development. #conflictresolution.