The “climate” of a relationship or of a group is a critical factor in whether the No-Lose Method will first be accepted and secondly be successful. Climate usually refers to the prevailing attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of relationships.
- Do the parties in a relationship or the members of their working group trust each other?
- Do they recognize mutually held interests?
- Do they usually feel it is safe to speak openly and honestly—to be assertive?
- Do they feel their relationship or group functions cooperatively or competitively?
- Do they feel it is safe to strongly support their positions?
- Do they understand the importance of both parties getting their needs met?
The parties should believe that the goal of dealing with conflict is not merely to resolve the conflict but rather it is to find the most creative and fairest resolution that leaves neither party feeling that the other has come out with an unfair advantage.
Because many people never have actually experienced a climate that is truly democratic, participative and collaborative, they can be expected to respond to conflict with a lot of uncertainty and perhaps even pessimism.
A very large percentage of persons have no experience other than having conflicts settled unilaterally by their parents, teachers, coaches or supervisors who have held power to dictate their solutions to conflicts.
Want to learn more? Here’s another, more in-depth article on this topic that you might enjoy.