3 steps to resolve a dispute before it gets out of control

Have you ever had a dispute with someone and not known how to deal with it? Did you feel lost and alone during the dispute? All too often, business owners take the ostrich approach to disputes; they let them get out of control and don’t resolve them early on. This usually results in a much worse outcome for all parties.

3 things you can do right now to resolve a dispute before it gets out of control

1. Communication

   Communication is the key to resolving most disputes. If you disagree with someone, talk to them about it; ignoring the problem won’t make it go away. If you address the dispute up front you will resolve it before it gets out of control.

2. Principle

   In law school, we were taught, ‘The principle of a thing only makes lawyers rich’. A good resolution to any dispute will usually make both parties to the dispute feel like they have won an aspect of the dispute and lost another aspect of the dispute.

   It is important you don’t fail to compromise and resolve a dispute just because you think you are right. If you accept that in any dispute you are going to have to give a little, then, in most cases, you will stop it from getting out of control.

3. Point of View

   It is crucial you consider the other person’s point of view. Listen to what they have to say and consider if they may be right. If a dispute gets out of control, ending up in court, the judge will almost never completely agree with you. Judges tend to take the view that there are always two sides to a dispute and the truth lies somewhere in between.

   A lot of people don’t realise this and don’t respect that other people may have a different point of view. In any dispute, take a moment to consider the other side’s perspective. In most cases, this will help you to resolve the dispute faster and stop it from getting out of control.

Taking a proactive approach in any dispute will help you to resolve it faster. If you do all three things suggested here, you will almost always resolve a dispute before it gets out of control.