understanding opportunity and risk
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NEGOTIATION and DISPUTE RESOLUTION August, 2010
Without a doubt, the world is changing and the pace of change is increasing. The consequences of change, in which ever form the change takes place, is the potential for conflict. With increasing change comes the increasing potential for conflict. This can be anything from interpersonal relationships (at work, at home, etc.) through to industrial action through to sectarian or ethnic differences boiling over, to the sort of differences between countries that can create arguments, restrict trade ... or worse.
As change increases within the context of finite resources, so need increases ... so differences in opinion increases, based on a perception of the "truth", cultural beliefs, politics, fear, pure need, all of the above. This heady mix of perception, belief, fear / need, can simmer beneath the surface for prolonged periods of time - then to explode in a blaze of media headlines. Yet behind the headlines are usually very, very extensive costs as the different people and groups battle it our for supremacy or just for pure survival.
These can be complex situations. For sure, they are frequently costly (in many different ways) and usually, if left unchecked, can either escalate into something even more costly and disastrous, or can continue to simmer beneath the surface to sour future relationships, with the ever present threat of something worse - creating a climate of fear and uncertainty and the type of reactions associated with fear and uncertainty.
This is true instability. It is a typical lurching from crisis to crisis we can identify throughout history into the present day we see all around us, squandering valuable resources and opportunity, creating greater waste, frustration and intransigence. And human nature being what it is, in some ways this is likely to also be the future we are creating. We know it isn't the best way to be and yet people, being emotional creatures, always have the benefit of hindsight yet rarely practice present logic.
The likelihood is ... in an increasingly change orientated world there will be increasing conflict. In a world of finite resources with increasing need we have to be smarter at how we resolve conflict and the associated issues stemming from perception, belief, fear / need if we are to avoid the wasteful costs of conflict. In todays world no one can afford to be wasteful. Not the individual on a fixed budget. Not the company who has to struggle with profitability. Not the country reliant on trade and good relations.
The art and science of negotiation relies on creating a "win-win" situation for all parties involved. Why? Because this is an essential to create a fundamental understanding between the different parties, and a basis of trust (or at least not the fear / need reactions) to display a shared reliance often results in shared benefit. In a highly complex world full of interconnections, it is this shared reliance and shared benefit that is often the difference between successfully overcoming challenges and being a victim. It's basic human psychology - we all want to be associated with something successful. We all want to aim towards being better. In a highly complex world rarely can we achieve this level of success on our own. No one person has all the answers. No one group or country has all the answers. We all share the same challenges. We now need to learn to share resources in order to jointly overcome the challenges and develop into a shared future - together.
This is the art and science of negotiation - sorely needed in todays world where we need common ground and shared value. Without it we will be consigned to 19th century bickering and a distinct loss of valuable resources. Surely we are better than this. Aren't we?
Likewise, as negotiation resolves conflict, it is also the creation of early negotiation based dialogue that diffuses the flashpoints before they happen. It is this type of investment in time and effort that avoids long term damage by enhancing the circumstances around what we all do best - communicating. Speaking is better than shouting. It is better than striking. Speaking is better than burning flags and rioting and throwing missiles at one another. Speaking undermines the extremist tendency to take over the reasonable by playing on fears and prejudices - and stops the probability of conflict before it happens. Make no mistake, following a long time of fear and prejudice being embedded into a work or social culture, it cannot be dismantled over night. It takes time and effort. Trust and the realisation of shared benefit take time and effort to make it worthwhile and robust. Yet always, always, the investment in time and effort to create such an environment is less costly than enduring conflict and attempting to pick up the pieces once the trust has been well and truly shattered.
Look around the world today and see the evidence of this. There are no quick fix solutions ... but there are solutions. This is the art and science of negotiation which we at Alt3 have some skills at, and always with complete confidentiality. Now ... if you've read this far, I can tell you would like to know more ...
Regards
JS
If you don't understand the risks, how can you prepare? Can you afford to let the issues be blurred?
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