Solving Conflict Resolution: Turn Problems Into Solutions and Opportunities

When you have a problem at work or at home there are ways to deal the problem and the stress that comes with it. You can learn how to look at a problem and turn it into an Opportunity!

These 3 Steps will lead you to understand what the problem is, how to deal with it and how to change your attitude to create Future Opportunities.

Whether at work or in your home, problems will arise. It is how you deal with these problems that creates opportunities and learning experiences for the future. Maintaining a positive attitude and rising up as a leader will shape the outcome of the Solution, and will Create Opportunities for the future.

When facing a problem you need to step back and remove emotional influence from the situation. In order to define and assess a problem, you have to be clear headed and thinking productively instead of destructively!

If you are too emotional at the time the problem arises, you should take a break and think about something else. This will allow you to face the problem head-on so that you can resolve it in the best way possible for a positive outcome and a future opportunity.

To fully identify and asses the problem you need to ask these questions:

• What happened?
• Why is this a problem?
• What and Who will be affected by this problem?
• How can I resolve this problem?

Asking yourself these questions will allow you to look at the situation from a 360° point of view. Write down all the aspects of what the problem is, what possible causes created the problem, who or what will be affected, and what are possible remedies to resolve the problem.

Once you have effectively figured out all the angles of the problem, it is time to start moving towards resolving it. Problems don't just go away by themselves.

They need to be studied and a plan needs to be put in place to fix them, and you need to find a way to prevent the problem from occurring again.

To gather your resources you need to address people or information that can assist with the solving process. Whether it be with people who are directly affected by the problem or an outside source.

If a lot of people are affected by a minor problem, you should consider if and when it is good to share the problem, and who to notify. If a problem affects many people but a solution is not too far away, consider not mentioning the problem until after it is resolved to avoid mass chaos.

If the problem affects many people but will not be resolved in a timely fashion, you must decide on the best way to notify those who are affected with your intent on the end result. Mention when and how you attempt to resolve the problem as well as any time frame that will be needed to correct it.

Communication is the key to resolving problems. Effective Communication occurs when all parties involved in the conflict resolution phase are familiar with the areas of the situation that affect them, and all parties are given a chance to voice their opinions on the best solution.

Once the problem has been completely evaluated and resources have been exhausted, it is time to solve your problem. Remember that your attitude towards the problem will affect the solution. Bring together all your resources and write down a plan that covers how all aspects of the problem can be resolved.

Think long-term towards the future so that this is a permanent solution and not just a temporary fix. When the same problem occurs multiple times it is because the solution was lacking in longevity.

Focus on these questions to help permanently solve a problem:

• What can I do right now to stop the problem without it getting worse?
• How can I monitor the results of the resolution over time?
• What can I do to adjust the solution for it to be more effective?
• What long-term plan is in place to avoid the a repeat of this problem?
• How can I avoid the problem from re-occurring in a different yet similar pattern?

Once the problem has been assessed and a solution is available, apply the solution and take note of the result. You may need to re-assess and fine-tune certain aspects of the resolution to ensure 100% satisfactory results over time.

Creating an Opportunity goes back to the theory of Attitude. The way you approach the problem, the way you consider all available resources, and ultimately the resolution itself, become Opportunities for the future.

You have successfully located, pin-pointed, analyzed, gathered information, and resolved the problem which becomes a learning experience for the future. Use the whole process as an opportunity for future prevention of similar problems.

You have gained experience in solving your problem and you will deal better and faster with future problems. Thinking positively and proactively will create future opportunities and the ability to identify potential problems and make proper adjustments before the problem occurs.

This is Effective Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution.