Mercer County

            The most current thinking on conflict resolution is that it needs to be looked at in terms of interests and not positions.  A position is a pre-determined solution.  It is something decided upon by an individual and becomes the one and only way they see for the conflict to be resolved.  For example if a community is looking at school consolidation it is not very useful to think only in the for and against positions.

             The real problem with deciding from positions is that it is a pre-determined way of addressing the matter.  This usually means that the people involved don’t really know the interests and concerns of others.  This is a sure recipe for failure.  It also will cut down on your creative options. 

           Interests are the needs, beliefs and values that lie behind the issue.  These are the things that the individual feels are most important.  Again if we think about school consolidation we will find that the people for consolidation feel that cost efficiency, educational quality, and best use of resources are the things that matter the most to them.  On the other hand, those against consolidation may value community pride, historic value and educational quality.

 It is important that we focus on interests because that gets us to the heart of the issue.  It gets us in touch with what people are most concerned about.  It moves people from polarized positions and creates some mutual understanding.  It sets the stage for more creative options.  Finally, it leads to better group cooperation.  It can set the conditions so people can relate to each other more completely and that is when community development happens best.

 If  you have questions on this or any other topic contact your local University of Missouri Extension office.  University of Missouri Extension does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability or status as a Vietnam era veteran in employment or programs.

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		University of Missouri  Extension Mercer County Jincksk@missouri.edu This page was last updated 09/14/2009