Most individuals approach a conflict situation with either a competitive or a cooperative orientation. Those who think conflict must be resolved competitively believe that they must defeat the other party in order to win because only one side can win. Those who have a cooperative conflict-management style, on the other hand, believe it is possible for both sides to win – an orientation generally referred to as a win-win approach.
Try this:
Think about a situation at work that needs to be resolved. It could be something about how the new sales system works or the way customer follow-up is handled or a new approach to preparing contracts — whatever. Consider all the different ways people have suggested making the needed changes. Now, rather than approaching the situation as a competitive one, approach it cooperatively, and see if you can come up with a win-win solution for solving it. Decide how this approach is different from what was done in the past, and then go ahead and try to implement it.
Tired of constant conflict? Try a more collaborative approach!