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One person can influence the outcomes of a conflict. Learning to handle conflict well starts with awareness.

These are assumptions made by organizational psychologists Paul Seymour and Glenn Hallam.

Conflict is one of the more potent business slayers for companies. Unresolved conflict can literally destroy this quarter’s business results. For instance, when contractors are unable to resolve disputes with their client companies, payment for the whole job is often delayed. When liens have to be filed, this adds significant expense for the contractor. Another conflict that can seriously impact a companies’ profit occurs when senior management do not agree on the current vision or focus of the company. Conflict at the top has a trickle down effect that can impact the productivity of all the employees.

When conflict results in destructive outcomes this leads to damaged relationship between employees; a waste of time and money; and often creates even more conflict. In contrast, if conflict is resolved in a constructive manner, employees find they can share responsibility for problems; find more creative solutions than were originally apparent; search for solutions that benefit the entire company; and build confidence that problems in the future can be effectively dealt with.

Paul Seymour, Ph.D. and Glenn Hallam, Ph.D. at Creative Metrics, LLC analyzed over 500 actual business conflicts to learn how executives can better deal with the inevitable conflicts that arise in organizations. Their findings showed that the following behaviors are the best predictors for a positive outcome:

Trust between the parties involved has the highest correlation with positive outcomes. If there is not a significant amount of trust, the possibility of destructive outcomes is much greater.
Engage in the conflict and not avoid the hard issues. This involves openly acknowledging a problem exists and committing to solving it.
Affiliate with the other parties in the conflict. Be sensitive to the needs of others and expend energy trying to be tactful in how they present their views.
Empathize with the other persons’ point of view. The ability to empathize is one of the most important conflict resolution skills for constructive problem solving.
Self-restrain, keep control of your emotional expressions. Approach the conflict in a calm rational manner.
Conversely, seeing only your side, avoiding the issues, losing one’s temper, and not treating the other with respect lead to very destructive outcomes.

They recommend that before entering a conflict situation for resolution one should think about using these behaviors so that one’s behavior is not so reactive but more purposeful and deliberate. Never forget that trust will be a central issue in how the conflict turns out.

Out of this research was developed The Conflict LensTM, an instrument that companies can use as a training tool for their employees.

Workers in their twenties have the most negative outcomes.Those in their forties have the most positive outcomes.
Workers in their fifties have the most ability to empathize.
Compared to men, women are less likely to control and more likely to own.
Divorced individuals trust the least and compromise the most.
Single people have more negative outcomes than married or divorced people.