Crucial Conflict Management

Resolving conflict among one another is said to be one of the greatest management skills that can be utilized because problems come in all shapes and sizes. How they are solved often determines promotions, respect among the peers, and indicates true character. The mark of a true leader is one who can not only arrive to a proper conclusion, but also find a way to input each team member's ideas in such a way that all are considered valuable. This critical soft skill is detailed below.

1. Develop the art of listening with an unconditional ear. For a moment, just shut up! You don't know everything - and neither do I - so keep your ears open to unbiased hearing. Even if the speaker is completely in left field, he/she may say something that may prove invaluable later. 
2. Try to put yourself in the position of the person who has a frustration that needs attention. In a unionized heavy manufacturing facility, if a line worker is having an issue, he/she works the chain of command: lead man, supervisor, superintendent, management to air out a grievance. Someone else may be frustrated to the point of quitting; empathize with the speaker. While his/her frustrations may or may not be yours, share the pain if even for a moment. President Clinton is one of the best at using empathy to curry favor among people who otherwise would scoff the issue as "their problem".
3. Understand that when a person days they don't like your actions, it doesn't mean they dislike you as a person. Accept constructive criticism. We're not out to get you; rather, we try to steer people toward the greater good of all. Ironically, we often surround ourselves with yes-men and women who won't say no to even the most bizarre of our desires because we have that power to remove dissent from our circles. By keeping some levelheaded members around, the team is not setting themselves up for failure. 
4. Work toward the goal of a mutually acceptable settlement rather than selfishly ignoring their pleas and defending your position. By working together for team glory, we can accomplish so much more. Winning is more fun when we all pool together our talent - a prime example is the Miami Heat. By sacrificing a little bit of their games, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James have won the past two NBA titles and hopefully will hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in mid-June. 
5. Reward any behavior that is an improvement in meeting the needs you have discussed. You don't always have to throw a pizza party to show appreciation for good work. By incorporating pieces of everyone's vision into the combined effort, the unit feels more appreciated.
6. Reserve time to check up on the people who are critical to your long-term goals. Over the years, I have mentored brothers not only because I told them so, but also to develop them and let them know that they can always reach out to me about ideas, plans, etc. beyond careers. Identify the people who have REAL skin in your future, and stick with them. They may not always be perfect, but they have a sincere interest in you. Queue them in. 
7. Don't chastise people for having different needs from your own or perspectives that you haven't considered. Your worldview may be vastly different from another individual's perspective or your needs aren't the same as the guy down the street. Respect their opinions and keep it moving. 
8. Attack the problem, not the individual. By recognizing the problem and not castigating others, you can actually hear what is being said. Too many people are too busy attacking the person instead of attempting to solve the problem, and all that does is magnify a molehill. 

I know that I've probably repeated myself throughout this post, but being able to manage conflict is key to not only personal success, but also in any other aspect of our own lives. Disagreements are unavoidable at times, so the least we can do is learn how to work with each other.