Yet amplification is not always the most appropriate approach to conflict. It can leave lingering feelings of anger and fear. It can further erode trust and respect in the community of people affected. Mediation The best known of these alternatives is mediation. A mediator can help disputants achieve that optimal, win-win outcome.
Successful mediation encourages people to determine their interests rationally.
Avoiding conflict when resolving a dispute is an important part of their approach, and it works very well in many circumstances. If a conflict is a symptom of some specific dispute, much of the conflict should dissipate when the dispute itself is resolved. And yet there are circumstances in which there is clearly conflict, but the actual nature of any related disputes is unclear. There are other circumstances in which a legacy of low morale and unresolved tensions remains after past disputes have been dealt with inappropriately - by amplifying or avoiding the conflict. And there are circumstances where there appears to be no specific dispute between parties in conflict.