When to use it
Use it to judge how serious a conflict has become and whether you need outside help.
How to apply it
- Describe the behaviours you are seeing between the parties.
- Match them to a stage, such as debate, coalition-building or loss of face.
- In the early stages, help the parties talk directly and focus on the issue.
- In the middle stages, bring in a neutral facilitator or mediator.
- In the late stages, escalate to formal intervention or arbitration.
Tip: Self-help works mainly in the early stages; recognising when that window has closed saves time.