Conflict Escalation Stage 7: Limited Destructive Blows

Life is full of conflicts. They're bound to happen no matter what. However, the way we deal with disagreements has a significant impact on whether or not they result in something positive. Understanding the nine-stage conflict escalation model developed by Friedrich Glasl is an excellent starting point when trying to resolve a conflict. In this instalment, we'll be covering the seventh stage, which is limited destructive blows.

What Occurs During the Seventh Stage of Conflict Escalation?

Stage 7 begins with a sense of dread about what might happen when the threats are followed through. As soon as one or both sides actively work to diminish the other side's ability to impose sanctions, the dispute moves into Stage 7. To be effective, threat strategies must be believed to be a deterrent by the parties involved. However, Stage 6's inner workings force the parties to act upon threats.

At this point, there is no guarantee that the parties will feel safe from the threats. It is now expected that the other side will be capable of doing great harm. As a result, ensuring one's own preservation becomes a top priority. Seeing a resolution that involves the opposing party is now impossible.

Participants see the other side as a hindrance that must be removed with deliberate attacks aimed at causing harm. The opposition is no longer a human being but a soulless adversary with no redeeming features. The enemy's humanity does not hinder blows; rather, the other side is treated as a mere obstruction. The terms "exterminate" and "eliminate" may be used when debating what should be done.

By eliminating or weakening an opponent's economic means, legal standing, or control functions, the attacks undermine the enemy's sanctioning capacity. Dread and anxiety lead to violent acts that are perceived as severe or — at the very least — highly exaggerated by the other party. Retaliations are generally considerably more devastating in response to attacks. When someone is in a heated situation, attacking can help them feel dominant and in charge, leading to greater escalation.

Assessments of the repercussions of one's actions become more distorted. Even though the other's losses do not serve a party's interests, they are recognized as gains. If the opponent suffers even greater casualties, one side may be willing to make sacrifices. Malice has the potential to be a strong motivator. The goal now is to eliminate the opponent's ammunition and ensure one's own preservation. As a long-term strategy, superiority is pursued so that one party can effectively stop their rivals.

Open communication has been lost. Threat strategies during Stage 6 are based on at least a minimal level of communication; a party must know whether the other refuses or accepts an ultimatum. On the other hand, at this stage, no one cares about how their message is interpreted or how others will respond; everyone is just trying to get their point across. Stage 7 dynamics are characterised by threats followed by a quick cessation of communication.

At this point, morals are pushed aside in favour of more urgent issues. Previously, the participants exploited loopholes in the norms, but now they are ignored if they are a nuisance. When it comes to war, the rules aren't supposed to apply. Both parties have come to the conclusion that it is now impossible for them to win. The situation is now lose-lose. The primary objectives are to survive and sustain fewer injuries than the opponent.

Common Signs of Conflict at Stage 7

There are several indicators to watch out for throughout Stage 7:

Workplace Violence

Violence is usually defined as a physical attack. However, there is a significantly broader meaning for workplace violence and harassment. Generally, workplace violence involves verbal harassment, physical assault, and threatening behaviour such as throwing things or destroying property.

Vandalism

Intentionally causing damage to or destroying property is not merely a threat made by juveniles. Even adults are capable of wreaking havoc. In the workplace, acts of vandalism may be an expression of more fundamental problems, such as out-of-control conflicts or an attempt at revenge.

Sabotaging the Other Party

In the workplace, sabotage can take numerous forms. Some examples of this include modifying another employee's timesheet after it has been handed in, erasing significant work time invested in on projects, or even trashing a report that has been submitted by potentially removing the report's key graphs, statistics, and other data.

De-escalation Techniques

To avoid a resignation or dismissal, outside help is even more critical at this stage of conflict resolution. In the worst-case scenario, this may cause havoc across the entire company.

If you find yourself dealing with someone who is being violent or making threats, here are some tips:

●????Evaluate the threat: Keep your cool and avoid confronting the violent party. A manager or mediator should consider all relevant information when assessing a potential threat. When possible, enlist the help of a third-party specialist.

●????Maintain a positive and respectful attitude: It's critical that your company's atmosphere and culture are positive. Respect and decency should be extended to all employees. If you must bring an employee's misconduct to management's attention, treat them with dignity and respect.

●????Put security measures in place: In the event of a credible threat, immediate action should be taken to establish security measures. Existing office security and the nature and intensity of the threat could affect the efforts implemented.

●????Protect confidentiality: Employees should be able to come forward anonymously if they feel unsafe or threatened.

For any aggressive or dangerous situations, you should try to alert someone who can phone the authorities. Continue talking with the person and strive to keep them from becoming agitated. Approach them with dignity and consideration by maintaining eye contact. Supervisors should think about the gravity of the threat before imposing disciplinary measures on their employees.

The Bottomline

We all experience conflict, disagreement, and change in our everyday lives. When multiple parties disagree, conflict resolution can be used to achieve a peaceful conclusion. In this article, we've gone over a few tips for handling conflicts that entail limited destructive blows. The bad news is that sometimes the dispute does not stop there and descends into something worse. In the upcoming instalment of this series, we will go into the eighth stage of escalation, where the goal is to destroy.