Chapter 14: Smooth Running below Decks 233
- Imagine that you’re in the role of negotiator to resolve a conflict
between different parties.
- Ask each party, ‘What’s your positive intention?’ Keep asking both
sides until you uncover some core and fundamental needs on which
both parties can agree. (Please refer to the earlier section ‘Trying the
visual squash technique’.)
- Ask each party to acknowledge the common ground and hold on to it.
- Using the ‘as if’ frame, explore alternative solutions to the problem.
(Please refer to the earlier section ‘Reframing – as if’.)
- Decide on the resources each party can bring to the table to help
resolve the conflict.
- Always keep the common aim in mind and strive for a win/win out-
come.
To paraphrase Einstein, having imagination is more important than having
knowledge, because knowledge boxes you into the realm of the known
whereas imagination allows you to discover and create new solutions. So use
your imagination for some lateral thinking to come up with novel solutions to
conflicts.
