Conflict is a normal part of organisational life. Different interests, expectations and perspectives meet; responsibilities overlap; and decisions are assessed differently. Conflicts therefore cannot be completely avoided – nor should they be.

What matters is how an organisation deals with conflict. What options are available when a conflict arises? Where can employees seek support? What role do managers play? When is a direct conversation appropriate, when might facilitation or mediation be helpful – and when is a formal procedure required?

A professional conflict management system provides the structures, responsibilities and processes needed to address these questions. It enables organisations to identify conflicts at an early stage, respond to them appropriately and learn from experiences of conflict.

I support organisations in

• analysing how conflict is currently dealt with in the organisation, including informal patterns of conflict and the organisational conditions in which they arise;
• developing a coherent system of contact points, responsibilities and different approaches to conflict management;
• strengthening managers’ and employees’ ability to deal professionally with conflict and further developing the organisation’s conflict culture.

My approach is systemic: I look not only at the people involved and their behaviour, but also at the structures, roles, communication patterns and decision-making processes within which conflicts arise and are dealt with. From this perspective, conflicts can provide valuable indications of tensions and areas for organisational development.

The aim is to enable organisations to remain capable of acting even in difficult and escalating conflicts – and to use conflicts as opportunities for clarification, learning and organisational development.