“Conflict management is a key strategic function of every organization, so it should be an intentional, conscious one-not left to chance.”
Dan Dana
There never was a good war or a bad peace!
“I hope . . . that Mankind will at length, as they call themselves reasonable Creatures, have reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats: For in my Opinion there never
was a good war or a bad peace.”
Benjamin Franklin
Through . . .understanding
“Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
When conflict becomes a win-lose . . .
“When conflict becomes a win-lose contest in our minds, we immediately try to win.”
Thomas Crum
How we approach conflict . . .
“In slightly more than half of the instances in which conflict appears, it is glossed over and avoided. Another 30% of the time, it precipitates heated clashes with no productive result. Only one time in five (20%) is conflict surfaced, debated, and authentically resolved”
Richard Pascale
A culture of conflict competence
“The goal is the creation of an environment that fosters and sustains a culture of conflict competence, where all who experience conflict feel comfortable to raise it, knowing it will be dealt with respectfully and responsibly.”
Jennifer Lynch
Dialogue is...
“One of our strongest weapons is dialogue.”
Nelson Mandela
Discourage litigation.
“Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how
the nominal winner is often a real loser—in fees, expenses, and waste of time.”
Abraham Lincoln
Look inside ourselves . . .
“In our society, we don’t naturally look inside ourselves for the source of conflict, we look outside."
Theodore Dobson
Peace!
"We should have much peace if we would not busy ourselves with the sayings and doings of others."
Thomas a' Kempis
Our propensity to be competitive . . .
"Our propensity to be competitive hinders efforts to interact collaboratively."
Dale Eilerman
Aggressors always destroy themselves!
"In the end, the aggressors always destroy themselves, making way for others who know how to cooperate and get along. Life is much less a competitive struggle for survival than a triumph of cooperation and creativity."
Fritjof Capra
The least creative response to conflict . . .
“The easiest, the most tempting, and the least creative response to conflict within an organization is to pretend it does not exist.”
Lyle E. Schaller
The foundation is love!
"Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."
Martin Luther King
Conflict and Diversity!
“Our ‘opponents’ are our co-creators, for they have something to give which we have not. The basis of all cooperative activity is integrated diversity.... What people often mean by getting rid of conflict is getting rid of diversity, and it is of the utmost importance that these should not be considered the same. We may wish to abolish conflict, but we cannot get rid of diversity. We must face life as it is and understand that diversity is its most essential feature... Fear of difference is dread of life itself. It is possible to conceive conflict as not necessarily a wasteful outbreak of incompatibilities, but a normal process by which socially valuable differences register themselves for the enrichment of all concerned.”
Mary Parker Follett
Anger is . . .
“Anger is a powerful motivator, but a poor strategist.”
Rob Jones
Forgiveness means . . .
“Forgiveness means abandoning your right to pay back that perpetrator in his own coin, but it is a loss that liberates the victim.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Power is . . .
"Power is the ability to influence the decisions of others."
Roger Fisher
If you want someone else to take the first step . . .
“You can’t start building a bridge in the middle and if you want someone else to take the first step, YOU need to start building it from THEIR side.”
Richard Rohr
A willingness to trust . . .
"A willingness to trust and openly listen to alternative ideas and views is essential for collaboration to be successful."
Dale Eilerman