Resolving Personal and Organizational Conflict : Stories of Transformation and Forgiveness Hardcover - 2000 - 1st Edition

An ancient piece of Jewish wisdom asks, "What is truer than the truth?"

"Take time to listen to what is said without words . . .To obey the law too subtle to be written."--Lao Tse At the heart of any conflict are the stories that people tell about the dispute, and the resolution to the conflict lies within these stories. Resolving Personal and Organizational Conflict shows how conflict resolution can be achieved by using the narrative structural approach, an innovative method that centers on the context of the individuals in the dispute, and not just on their interests, positions, and stated needs. This visionary book is written by Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmith, two renowned mediators, who have used the narrative structure method successfully in their own mediation practice to move people in conflict from stubbornness, hostility, and fear to openness, collaboration, and forgiveness. Focusing on the transformative power of stories, Resolving Personal and Organizational Conflict includes an array of case studies from the authors' first-hand experience with thousands of clients. These case studies include the perspectives of all the parties in the conflict and cover a wide range of conflicts and disputes.As the authors explain, once mediators become experienced at unearthing and understanding the deeper meaning of the stories people tell about conflict, they can learn to follow their intuition and create their own practical methods and techniques for assisting the disputing parties. To help in this process, Resolving Personal and Organizational Conflict offers specific methods for assisting disputing parties to communicate their problems without sinking into the twin traps of demonization or victimization. In addition, the authors show how to encourage people and organizations in conflict to identify new ways of sustaining supportive relationships and transforming anger into awareness, dialogue, and reconciliation. [headline] Revealing hidden stories in conflict and using their power to resolve disputes Resolvin