How can conflict resolution help you negotiate better?

1 Sources and types of conflict

Conflict is inevitable in negotiation, but not all conflict is bad. Conflict can arise from different interests, goals, values, perspectives, or personalities of the parties involved. Some conflict can be constructive, as it can stimulate creativity, innovation, and learning. However, some conflict can be destructive, as it can damage relationships, reduce cooperation, and escalate hostility. To deal with conflict effectively, you need to understand its sources and types, and adapt your strategy accordingly.

3 Communication skills

Communication is an essential factor for successful conflict resolution in negotiation. It involves more than just exchanging information, but also managing emotions, building trust, and influencing others. To effectively communicate in negotiation, you need to listen actively and empathically, ask open-ended and probing questions, express your interests and concerns clearly and respectfully, use positive and assertive language, acknowledge and validate the other party's feelings and perspectives, and use feedback and paraphrasing to clarify and confirm understanding.

4 Common pitfalls and mistakes

Despite your best efforts, you may still encounter some challenges and obstacles in your negotiation process. Common pitfalls and mistakes that can impede conflict resolution include making assumptions, letting emotions dictate behavior, inadequate preparation and research, being too rigid or too accommodating, succumbing to pressure or manipulation, and ignoring or escalating the conflict. To avoid these issues, you must be cognizant of your own and the other party's biases, emotions, and motivations, and use the right strategies to cope and respond.

5 Evaluation and improvement

Finally, to enhance your conflict resolution and negotiation skills, you need to evaluate and improve your performance and learning. After each negotiation, it is important to reflect on what went well and what went wrong, identify the sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for both parties, analyze the causes and consequences of the conflict and its resolution, learn from your mistakes and successes, seek feedback and advice from others, and plan and implement actions for improvement. Conflict resolution can help you negotiate better by enabling you to understand and address the needs and interests of both parties, communicate effectively, create value, and build trust. Thus, by following these tips and techniques, you can turn conflict into an opportunity for innovation and collaboration.