The New American Leadership System™

Chapter Nine - Conflict Resolution

Conflict Resolution Techniques

Managing to successfully deal with conflict is an art that is easy to develop ... far easier than most people imagine. First there are conflicts in everyone’s day-to-day life. Secondly, those who duck them, miss the joy of resolving issues early and improving things at work and at home, or in political or social settings before they do get "too hot."

Our ideas and approach are provided. The Lazar Five-Step is one way that you can achieve unusually positive results with and not against people.


There is an organizational invention we call Escalation-for-Help-Together™ (EFHT). It is a series of ways that brings out important and rapid solutions to problems. These problems can be on methods, priorities, personality, organizational functioning, quality or service. The idea is that if two people in conflict cannot resolve the issue in a Win+Win™ way, in the best interest of their organization, they use EFHT with their boss or bosses. In addition, the boss can call for an EFHT if he/she does not see effective and rapid resolution.

We provide a quick-check measure of how well the Win+Win™ approach is being practiced in your organization. Notice the plus (+) on the Win+Win™. It is the way to cement your "and" thinking in all conflicts in life.

Conflict Resolution in the Win+Win™ Way

Conflict vs. Disagreement
(How Much)

Conflict vs. Disagreement


Win+Win™ Principles

From Thomas Gordon:

There's a unique solution to a unique problem between two unique people ... acceptable to both

From Vince Lombardi:

Winning is not a sometime thing. It is an all-time thing. You don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. There's only one place, and that's first place.

The Lazar 5-Step Approach to a Win+Win™ Solution

1.  Ask, why do you want what you want?

     Tell why you want what you want.

This step produces:

2.  Develop a combined statement of the problem ... your need and his/her need.
3.  List all those alternatives that address the combined statement ... not your need alone.
4.  Select one alternative acceptable to both.

     Check It Out on both sides until it meets the criteria of healthy conflict.