HANDLING CONFLICTS

Conflicts are inevitable. As long as humans walk the face of the earth, there will be confrontations. From issues as minor as scheduling two appointments simultaneously on your planner to disputes between family members and co-workers or political disagreements within the government, everyone will deal with conflicts on some level and in some manner.

For the most part, no one wants to enter into a personal conflict or disagreement intentionally. Conflicts can cause quite a stir of raw emotions and defences. If not handled correctly, it can cause many misunderstandings, severed relationships, financial hardships, unexpected reactions, or other issues and problems.

One of the best protocols for handling conflict is to avoid conflicting issues before they arise. However, that is not always an option.

When handling conflict, consider these guidelines:

Promptly – When an unavoidable issue arises, address it promptly or as quickly as possibly allowed to avoid the situation from escalating more. Don’t allow conflict to ferment. Many unpleasant problems can be resolved more civilly if just addressed promptly. Accidents, mistakes and slip-ups happen. Try to make corrections to mend the situation and move forward when they do.

Professional – Handle conflicts professionally. Something may have gone awry and not the way planned initially; however, don’t break the protocol of being professional. Think of reasonable, agreeable solutions to rectify the error.  

Private – When a negative situation does occur (and once again, they will), if at all possible, try to resolve the problem in private with all the parties involved. Who does the conflict affect? If the matter only concerns one other person or a small group of people, keep the case with them only.

It is crucial to remember to handle the issue in private only if it can be done in a safe environment and without causing any further harm to someone else or something else.  

Public – If your conflict was public, it might be necessary to handle the resolution publicly. This may even involve public apologies or corrections. If so, take it with no dramatics and as professionally as possible. 

“Make wise choices. Every choice you make has a consequence.”

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PROTOCOLTODAY ACADEMY OF PROTOCOL & SOFT DIPLOMACY