What is surface disagreement, jagged peaks of icebergs facing off with each other, beneath may be joined when we have eyes to see. –Tilden Edwards
One of the keys to conflict resolution, especially in complex disagreements, is the identification of the interests of each party.
Shifting from positions to interests is crucial for moving toward creative solutions that will work for each person in the disagreement.
POSITION:
A person’s position is her/his solution to the disagreement.
The reason people are in disagreement in the first place is often because the positions that they hold address only their own needs.
People can get locked into their positions. Common motives for becoming positional are the desire to be taken seriously, fear, revenge, and expectations. Becoming positional can also be our historical pattern of reacting to conflict.
In making the shift from positions to interests, it may be necessary to first acknowledge or name the position and then address the underlying issues inherent in the disagreement.
ISSUE (topic) OF CONCERN:
The issue is the general topic of the disagreement. It is helpful to name the issue in language that both parties acknowledge is the issue prior to probing for interests. This usually enables a more efficient identification of the underlying interests. If you do not identify the issues, you run the risk of receiving justifications for the other party’s position instead of their deeper interests.
INTEREST:
Interests are the underlying wants, needs, fears, hopes, and/or concerns that motivate our positions. Interests reflect and are shaped by our values and priorities.
Discovering and exploring interests allows each person in a disagreement to understand what will be needed to create a mutually acceptable and lasting resolution. When people are able to express their interests they also may discover that they share values and concerns are subsequently less likely to perceive one another in purely adversarial terms.
Basic human interests, which often come up in disagreements, are needs for approval, justice, inclusion, identity, power and security.
To discover interests it is helpful to use open-ended questions to seek to identify the issue of concern and then to understand the particular interests that make this issue important.