How can parties in conflict set realistic and achievable goals?

The primary means of attaining goals when conflict exists is to focus on behavior versus the individual. Next, ensure that both parties understand 1) their individual roles and 2) the overall mission. Then, alignment of the individuals’ missions to the overall mission/scope of work, is key. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, time-specific goals are also important. Those are some steps to setting reasonable and attainable goals during times of conflict.

Nothing is more challenging than navigating through a discussion with many different viewpoints, which may escalate into an argument. If an escalation arises, each side will need to be calmed down. There are underlying interests and biases that could be at fault, and those would cause even more challenges—addressing this part through open-ended questions is vital. Each party must have a chance to explain their viewpoints, and the mediator should ask follow-up questions crucial to making their arguments clearer. Questions should never be imposed that the party may be wrong or indicate that others are right. What is right and wrong arises from people's past that could affect the mediation and the mediator must understand the individual views.

I find conflict is usually around method of delivering something. When you raise the issue to the level of a shared value you find people want the same thing but are finding it hard to agree on the routes to achieving that. They don’t always see they want the same thing and are often violently agreeing without realising it. Taking the discussion to the highest level us where you often find agreement.

In the realm of conflict resolution,setting realistic and achievable goals is paramount for fostering understanding and reaching sustainable resolutions. Firstly,it's crucial to facilitate open and honest communication between the conflicting parties by encouraging them to express their concerns, needs, and expectations,HR professionals & career counselors can identify common ground and areas of compromise. They can also guide the parties in breaking down larger objectives into smaller, manageable steps promoting a sense of progress & accomplishment. So effective communication, mediation,realistic timelines & expectation management to create a framework for conflict resolution that is both practical and conducive to long-term collaboration.

The best way to earn trust in the professional world is to make a commitment to action and then actually do it. While people may not be fully onboard with your ideas or approaches, they can at least respect your commitment to a shared goal and you showing up consistently and powerfully goes a long way in demonstrating your professionalism and competences. While everyone may see a different pathway forward, everyone can also appreciate your commitment and dedication to the larger shared goal. Keep walking the walk and hopefully you find a shared way to move forward.

Don't be afraid or feel shame at having to walk back your ideas or commitment to a goal if it is clearly not working! Be open to the fact things need adjusting and perhaps your strategies aren't making the most sense. There is true value in being self-aware enough to see metrics clearly and adjust as needed vs. barreling down a dead-end road just to keep your ego intact. That will get you no where fast.

Conflict is unavoidable at any workplace but to move beyond it is the key to success. So, * Identify and acknowledge the conflict. * Understand underlying interests. * Find a middle ground. * Respect each other’s space. * Determine the ultimate goal. * Reach a solution that is well deliberated by both the parties.