Effective communication tips during a conflict resolution is summarized using WIG-TRAP:
Watchful Words (Taboo Words)
Intimacy
Gender and other Discrimination
Tone of Voice
Repetition
Audience
Permission
Watchful Words are Taboo words
Almost all parents teach their kids the manners of watching the tongue while using words, phrases, and topics that are related to sexual orientation, disability, or conversations about private parts of the body. Though, there are no words that are universally considered as taboo, these topics are very risky and should be avoided during conflict situations and resolution. Nevertheless, taboo words is a debatable subject and is subjective.Intimacy Level is a Measure
Obviously, the intimacy level differs from one person to another. Care should be taken to choose words, phrases, statements that are appropriate to the kind of relationship during conflict resolution.Consider Gender and other Discriminations
cracking jokes or making fun on topics that are based on gender, nationality, or ethnicity should be avoided in the communication.Above all, generalized statements are risky and, sometimes, confusing. Example phrases that are risky to talk to customers include:
“All girls have this habit”
“Universally men are like that”
“This community has a peculiar ritual”
Good Tone of Voice is Essential, Though not a Rule
Tone of voice is one of the basics of verbal communication that indicates the emotion behind a language. Some of the interesting tone of voices include, courteous, polite, friendly, kind and curious. Some people even respond to an angry customer message with kindnessRepetition Includes Recurs, Duplicates or Replicates
Time is a vital factor during crisis. You must avoid repetition in order to save time to make communication more effective during a conflict.Know your Audience.
A Conflict resolver must know who are they talking to during a conflict. Understanding the needs, desires and preferences of the conflicting parties can help to focus the communication as per the parties requirements.Ask Permission
People respond better when requested politely. Phrases like, “Can we chat for a moment”, “I need two minutes of your time to talk about…” or “I kindly request you to go through my letter and if you wish we could be discuss about it now...” make the other person comfortable and secure.WIG-TRAP summarizes the key effective communication tips and strategies during conflict resolution. Memorize it, use it, reuse it whenever you come across conflicting situations in life; whether husband or wife, manager or subordinate; at home or at workplace.