In both conflict or dispute management and in facilitation and change management, the parties' substantive issues challenge and provoke them as well as impact their stakeholders - reflecting ripples from the past, present and future.
We know there are many factors at work in both. These include: values, interests, expectations, motivations, standards, legal or regulatory considerations, stress, timing, risks, costs, reward, reputation and feasibility.
There are synergies between experience in managing disputes and experience in managing change. Divergent views are integral parts of change, dispute and consensus. Experience in managing disputes also informs the feasibility, collaboration and character of implementation necessary for change to occur. Experience in managing change also informs the origins, ingredients and options for durable resolution of disputes.
Parties may be experiencing significant change and significant disagreement simultaneously. Expeditious resolution of outstanding issues based on consensus can be critical to their interests and futures, whether their engagement is to address disagreement, change or both.
At some point, parties may conclude, or be advised, that engaging an appropriate neutral party to collaborate with them, and their advisors, has a high probability of being beneficial to their interests.
Copyright 1999-2011, Frank McLean - last page edit 11.07.31-17:23
