resolve a dispute

How can you Resolve a Dispute?

How do you resolve a dispute with negotiation techniques? There are three common approaches, all with different advantages.

It’s often the case that when two people or organizations try to resolve a dispute by determining who is right, they get stuck. That’s why so many disputes end up in court. Another approach is to focus not on rights but on interests—the needs, desires, or concerns that underlie each side’s positions.

There are three basic ways to resolve a dispute, each with its pros and cons. The first two, mediation and arbitration, are considered types of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) because they are an alternative to litigation.

1. Mediation. In mediation, a neutral third party will help disputants come to a consensus on their own. Mediation can be effective at allowing parties to vent their feelings and fully explore their grievances.
2. Arbitration. In arbitration, the arbitrator listens as each side argues its case and presents relevant evidence, then renders a binding decision. 
3. Litigation. Perhaps the most well-known way to resolve a dispute is with litigation, which typically involves a judge and possibly a jury.

Sooner or later you will almost inevitably face the need for conflict resolution, and good conflict management tools are essential.

In this FREE special report from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School,  Dispute Resolution, Working Together Toward Conflict Resolution on the Job and at Home, the editors of Negotiation Briefings cull valuable negotiation strategies and curate popular content to provide you with a concise guide on how to improve your dispute resolution skills.

We will send you a download link to your copy of the report and notify you by email when we post new negotiation advice and information on how to improve your conflict resolution skills on our website.

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