Let's make a broad survey of the strategies available to you, to help you with resolving conflict. Now, how you apply these seven strategies will depend very much on the circumstances you find yourself in. But these generic strategies are going to be useful. And within the strategies, there are also a number of tactics that you can apply and we'll take a look at those in a later video. So let's start off with strategy number one. The first strategy for dealing with conflict is one to one chats.

The informal, the highly effective, and they're particularly useful in the early stages. Obviously, the more conflict escalates, then the harder it is orchestrated, but you know what? You would me in the same room. It's awful. The gold standard for communication and communication is what we really need if we can resolve conflict. So the secret is to prepare well, and choose a setting that's appropriate, comfortable for both parties.

The second strategy is formal discussions. This takes the one to one chat and puts more structure around it often raises the stakes. Like one to one chats, it can be very effective and it's very popular in a workplace situation. Also like it, it's about choosing the place and the time and preparing Well, it does emphasize the power differential. And there is a lot more at stake because after the formal chat, it's hard to go back to the informal one to one. The third strategy won't always be appropriate.

But you can sometimes raise the conflict in a more public forum, like a group meeting. Now if you get this wrong, it can be bad. But get it right and you can harness peer pressure to help to resolve the conflict. The danger of peer pressure is that sometimes people are afraid of conflict and therefore will say and do anything to de escalate it and not necessarily be motivated to get the right solution. But if your confidence with the group and your confidence if your position, if this can be well worth a try. The danger is it can undermine your authority and it can undermine the other person's sense of confidence and self worth.

So think about it carefully. But sometimes use well. This could be an excellent technique for resolving conflict. The fourth approach is mediation. It's finding somebody who can mediate between the two parties, bring them together, separate them represent They're used to each other and make sure each is being properly heard. And their positions are being properly listened to and interpreted.

And related to mediation, the fifth is arbitration. Again, we use a third party, but this time they are going to listen to the points of view of both parties, their outcomes and their positions. And then they're going to make an rational judgment and make a choice and arbitrary and impose a solution upon the two parties. Arbitration and mediation are often used in formal settings, particularly as a step to avoid going to law. Because let's face it, the legal process is the ultimate arbiter. In many countries, an extreme strategy, a high risk strategy is confrontation.

Sometimes you need to take the situation head on, you need to burst the bubble. Of course, it's higher risk, you need to be absolutely confident of your ground, you need to know what's going to happen because it's unlikely to de escalate the conflict. And it could escalate even further. But sometimes it can be the trigger for a resolution. Sometimes the, the shock and surprise of a choice to confront can have a profound effect on the other party. Finally, the seventh strategy is one can only use when you have the power in the situation.

And that is to apply disciplines or to apply whatever external rules there are to impose a resolution. Once again, you need to be sure you're right, because this is the ultimate solution. And there's no going back. The one thing I would say is separate your use of your authority and discipline for resolving the situation and finding a solution to the conflict from your ability to use that To authority and discipline, to punish. You should think twice before you punish anyone in the workplace situation, because the consequences of that are severe. However, if you can apply discipline and authority to resolve a situation, sometimes that needs to be done in order to make progress quickly.

Weight matters a lot. So there you have it seven strategies for resolving conflict. Pick wisely and apply