Career Planning Skills Development What Are Conflict Resolution Skills? By Alison Doyle Alison Doyle Alison Doyle is one of the nation’s foremost career experts. learn about our editorial policies Updated on October 14, 2022 In This Article View All In This Article How Do Conflict Resolution Skills Work? Examples of Conflict Resolution Skills Types of Conflict Resolution Skills More Conflict Resolution Skills Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Photo: Maddy Price / The Balance DEFINITION: Conflict resolution skills are abilities that enable you to mediate disputes and achieve consensus. Key Takeaways Conflict resolution is the process of resolving disagreements and coming up with solutions that are mutually agreeable to multiple parties.Conflict resolution skills are useful in nearly every job and industry. To showcase conflict resolution skills to potential employers, include keywords related to these abilities in your resumes, cover letters, and during job interviews. How Do Conflict Resolution Skills Work? Conflict resolution skills are required for a wide range of positions across many job sectors. This requirement is based on the fact that conflict tends to reduce productivity and create a difficult work environment, leading to unwanted turnover in staff and reduced morale. Individuals who can resolve conflicts are often excellent mediators, rational, and able to manage difficult personalities from a place of empathy. What Is Conflict Resolution? Conflict resolution is the process by which two or more parties reach a peaceful resolution to a dispute. In the workplace, there can be a variety of types of conflict: Conflict may occur between co-workers, supervisors and subordinates, or between service providers and their clients or customers.Conflict can also occur between groups, such as management and the labor force, or between entire departments. Note Some conflicts are essentially arbitrary, meaning it doesn’t matter who “wins,” only that the problem is resolved so everyone can get back to work. But some conflicts reflect real disagreements about how an organization should function. The Conflict Resolution Process The resolution of conflicts in the workplace typically involves some or all of the following processes: Recognition by the parties involved that a problem exists.Mutual agreement to address the issue and find some resolution.An effort to understand the perspective and concerns of the opposing individual or group.Identifying changes in attitude, behavior, and approaches to work by both sides that will lessen negative feelings.Recognizing triggers to episodes of conflict.Interventions by third parties such as human resources representatives or higher-level managers to mediate.A willingness by one or both parties to compromise.Agreement on a plan to address differences.Monitoring the impact of any agreements for change.Disciplining or terminating employees who resist efforts to defuse conflicts. Examples of Conflict Resolution Skills Assertiveness by a supervisor who convenes a meeting between two employees who have engaged in a public dispute.Interviewing and active listening skills are utilized by a human resources representative to define the nature of a conflict between a supervisor and a subordinate.A supervisor encouraging empathy by asking opposing employees to describe how the other might feel in conflict situations.Managers of rival departments facilitating a brainstorming session with their staff to generate solutions to ongoing points of conflict.Mediation skills by a supervisor who helps rival subordinates to identify mutually agreeable changes in behavior.A co-worker seeking out a rival and suggesting that she would like to find a way to co-exist more peacefully.Creativity and problem-solving by a supervisor who redefines the roles of two conflict-prone staff to eliminate points of friction.Accountability established by a supervisor who documents conflict-initiating behaviors on an employee's performance appraisal. Types of Conflict Resolution Skills Assertiveness An employee might seek out a person with whom they're having conflict to suggest working together to find ways to co-exist more peacefully. Articulation Balanced Approach Candor Decisiveness Delegation Fact-Based Fairness Firmness Leadership Managing Emotions Management Negotiation Socializing Voicing Opinions Problem-Solving Self-Control Stress Management Interviewing and Active Listening A human resources representative might have to ask questions and listen carefully to determine the nature of a conflict between a supervisor and a subordinate. Articulation Attentiveness Conscientiousness Consideration Empathy Encouragement Intuition Listening Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Persuasion Prediction Presentation Professionalism Relationship Building Respect Sense of Humor Sincerity Socializing Understanding Verbal Communication Empathy A mediator might encourage empathy by asking employees in conflict to each describe how the other might be feeling and thinking, and how the situation might look to the other party. Empathy is also an important skill for mediators, who must be able to understand each party’s perspective, without necessarily agreeing with either. Asking for FeedbackBuilding TrustCompassionInclusionGiving FeedbackHandling Difficult PersonalitiesManaging EmotionsHigh Emotional IntelligenceIdentifying Nonverbal CuesRecognizing DifferencesUnderstanding Different ViewpointsInterpersonal skillsPatiencePersonableSelf-AwarenessSelf-ControlTrustworthinessWelcoming Opinions Facilitation Managers of rival departments might facilitate a joint brainstorming session with their teams to generate solutions to ongoing points of conflict. Group facilitation techniques can also be used to avoid triggering conflict during group decision-making in the first place. Brainstorming Collaboration Conflict Management Diplomacy Ethics Humility Influence Insight Intuition Listening Organization Patience Perception Planning Practicality Realism Reflection Teamwork Mediation A supervisor might guide subordinates who are in conflict through a process to identify mutually agreeable changes in behavior. Assertiveness Compassionate Decision Making Emotional Intelligence Empathy Honesty Impartial Insightful Leadership Measured Patience Problem Solving Professionalism Psychology Rational Approach Respect Understanding Transparency Problem Solving A supervisor might redefine the roles of two conflict-prone staff to simply eliminate points of friction. Creativity can also mean finding new win/win solutions. Brainstorming SolutionsConflict AnalysisCollaboratingCreative Problem SolvingCritical ThinkingConvening MeetingsCreativityCritical ThinkingDecision MakingDesignating SanctionsFair ResolutionGoal IntegrationMonitoring ProcessNonverbal CommunicationProblem SolvingRestoring RelationshipsSense of Humor Accountability A supervisor might document conflict-initiating behaviors exhibited by a chronic complainer as preparation for a performance appraisal. In this way, the supervisor helps establish accountability, since the employee can no longer pretend the problem isn’t happening. Adaptability Collaboration Delegation Drive Dynamism Flexibility Focus Follow-through Honesty Integrity Leadership Motivation Organized Planning Results-Oriented Visionary Trustworthiness Versatility More Conflict Resolution Skills Accepting CriticismAssertivenessBeing PresentCalmnessData-DrivenImpartialityIntuitionLeadershipLetting It GoLogicalNon-BiasPatiencePositivityPrioritizing RelationshipsProject ManagementResearchRespecting DifferencesSeparating YourselfStress ManagementTechnical Expertise Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What are job skills? Job skills are abilities that allow you to perform your work. These include hard skills, which are the technical knowledge that helps you do your job, and soft skills, which involve being able to work with others. What are soft skills? Soft skills, otherwise known as people skills or interpersonal skills, are the abilities that help you work with colleagues, managers, and clients. Examples of soft skills include teamwork, communication skills, and work ethic. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation. "What is Conflict Resolution, and How Does It Work?"