The Nature of Disputes
Conflict is natural and normal.
It is natural for people to have opposing interests, values and needs. People live with conflict every day. It is only harmful if it results in dispute.
Disputes:
- cannot be ignored
- cause real damage
- can bring peoples lives and businesses to a standstill
- must be resolved with appropriate speed and effectively with the help of a qualified professional.
It is an inevitable fact that conflict happens in life. Indeed, conflict is natural and normal. After all, we are all human and we all have different interests, needs, aims and values in life, so we are bound to disagree some of the time when we interact with others!
Disputes occur between family members, relatives, friends, and acquaintances, as well as between businesses and between the State and individual citizens. Disputes also occur, of course, internationally, for example between governments and companies of different countries.
In certain ways, conflict can be positive, if is dealt with constructively. For example, disputes can bring differences of view 'out in the open', they lead people to deal with issues together rather than stay isolated, they stimulate change and progress, and they can ' clear the air' between parties.
However, disputes can be harmful, if they are not dealt with and resolved effectively, they:
- can be stressful and physically and psychologically draining
- can sour and even destroy relationships
- are time-consuming
- divert people's attention and energy away from more useful activity
- can be costly - in terms of the interruption of normal relations (e.g. supply of service or goods) or the expenses of dealing with the conflict
- can make other problems or issues more difficult to resolve too.
If you have a dispute, don't worry, as you are not alone! The thing that matters, though, is dealing with the problem quickly and resolving it effectively.