Crafting Solutions to Conflict

A pachyderm, specifically a mystery animal that turns out to be an elephant, presents an opportunity to consider different perspectives. An old parable from India describes the efforts of multiple people to make heads or tails (pun intended) out of a mystery animal. It’s an elephant, though the different, individual, perspectives don’t help nearly as much as the information gained when all of those perspectives are taken into account. The same can be said of conflict.

Pachyderms, specifically elephants in the room, present an opportunity to think about moving past denial and avoidance of conflict. Many of us know about the idea of the elephant in the room: the large issue that no one wants to talk about, or even acknowledge. I’ve seen this elephant more than a few times in my work as a mediator and I have some ideas to share about how to start to understand it and, even better, how to start to deal with it.

Jeff Savlov provides insights and inspiration from his work with two brothers selling a business. Jeff’s experience in family business and wealth consulting allowed him to both skillfully assist these siblings and to recognize that they exhibited a powerful collection of positive traits that helped the process. Disclaimer: though wonderful, it is highly unusual to see, in one situation, all the traits Jeff identifies here. Typically, one or two of these traits might be present, but not all! Families and their advisors shouldn’t be discouraged when they face conflict and challenges that are not so easily solved. Instead, listen for the love, trust, self-awareness, accountability, remorse, and commitment to action to achieve financial fairness. Listen, too, for ideas about how to nurture these traits in a family. You can reach Jeff at [email protected] / www.blumandsavlov.com.

We often assume that conflict is always bad – and what we see around us backs that up. Let’s look at some other perspectives. Conflict can be constructive; at its best it leads to innovation and progress. Because it has so much good potential, it’s worth the effort to do conflict right: with respectful communication and interactions.

Dispute, conflict, or both. Understanding the difference can help you to better address a challenging situation.

A dispute and a conflict can mean different things. Court cases are usually thought of as disputes, and there are many ways they are resolved other than through a trial and judgment. You can learn more about (alternative) dispute resolution options here:

Marc Halpert, passionate mulitpreneur, shares some thoughts on effectively preventing and managing conflicts for his clients. Marc has a passion for customer service. Preventing conflicts through careful planning, resolving them through immediate action, and learning from what does and doesn't work all help. Additionally, Marc recognizes that clients approach challenge in different ways and modifies his approach to help them as effectively as possible to improve and succeed.

I have been fascinated by conflict for more than 30 years. That fascination might be enough for a podcast. But there’s more. I feel some frustration about suggestions that conflict always spirals down to hopeless despair in no time. And I have a wealth of experience, education, teaching, speaking, writing, and consulting around conflict. To top it off, I’m still learning and plan to always keep learning. The upshot: this podcast is something you want to hear!

What’s in a name – specifically, the name of this podcast?

A new podcast about practical and positive perspectives on conflict, hosted by Jane Beddall. Join Jane for a fresh look at conflict, one without the doom and gloom.