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Pre-Conflict

Author: Sophia

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what's covered

There are three natural stages of conflict:

Pre-conflict stage
Conflict stage
Post-conflict stage

Of these three, this lesson will focus on:

The Pre-conflict Stage

1. The Pre-conflict Stage

before you start

While all conflicts can feel unique to the parties within them, conflict resolution experts have identified common themes and recurring patterns that characterize many types of conflict. This includes the ways in which a conflict proceeds, from the initial start to the conflict to its resolution. In this section, we will discuss in detail the common phases of conflict and how they appear in different examples.

File:14738-stages of conflict mockup.png

The pre-conflict stage of conflict is the phase in which a problem between parties begins to manifest itself without the parties’ knowledge. Let’s study some examples of what this might look like in context.

EXAMPLE

You enjoy your job; you love the work you do. However, you know there are going to be some changes. The company has hired a new divisional VP, which has led to a couple of management changes in your division. You have met the new managers, and things seem fine at the moment. This could be the pre-conflict stage because issues could be brewing, but you are not aware of them.

EXAMPLE

Your neighbors recently moved away. A new family has moved into the house, and you notice that it’s a large family. They have a lot of visitors. Still, they’re really nice people, and your kids get along with their kids. While you are a little surprised by all the visitors, things seem fine at this point.

EXAMPLE

Your spouse comes home and says that they have been given extra assignments at work that are going to require travel. Your spouse begins traveling quite a bit, and you start feeling tired a lot. At this early stage, you haven’t really made the connection between your spouse’s increased duties and your exhaustion.

term to know

Pre-Conflict Stage of Conflict

The stage of conflict in which parties’ needs are not being met but are unaware of the relationship between them.

summary

In this lesson, you learned that conflict can be divided into stages or patterns, and the first of those stages is the pre-conflict stage. You now understand that this is the stage in which the parties are not yet aware of each other's roles or the connection between unmet needs. Good luck!

Source: Adapted from Sophia tutorial by Marlene Johnson.

Terms to Know

Pre-Conflict Stage of Conflict: The stage of conflict in which parties' needs are not being met but are unaware of the relationship between them.