One thing that is almost certain in any leadership position is that you will have to address conflicts between people. This is often the result of different personalities and the high-pressure demands of the workplace.

How you deal with these conflicts can either be a make or break factor for many leaders. If handled well it can lead to increase performance and stronger relationships. If either ignored or handled poorly it can lead to a decrease in productivity, creativity, emotional well-being, and retention.

A 3-step process that I got my friend Adam on how to deal with this is using the 3 F’s. This stands for facts, feeling, and future.

Before going into this set the guidelines that active listening will be used. In this, both people agree to listen to understand rather than respond. Also, there will be no interrupting while the other person is speaking.

Facts - What exactly happened in this situation? Allow both people to share the facts as they see them. This part is about gaining clarity about what happened. Avoid bringing in emotion during this time.

Feelings - How did this situation make you feel? Both parties can share the emotions they experienced during this situation.

Future - How do we move forward? What is the ideal outcome in this situation? What do both people agree to do in order to achieve that and prevent this from happening again?

This process can be done by the leader and with the two people that are having a conflict. Or if the leader is one of the people in the conflict then he/she can facilitate this process.

Here are some additional keys for conflict management:

*Address it early - Conflicts usually don’t get better on their own. They will generally manifest and get worse. By addressing it early you can prevent it from becoming a major issue.

*Use active listening - I mentioned this earlier but it is worth repeating. This is critical for any conflict management situation.

*Focus on the problem, not the person - Avoid it becoming personal and attacking the other person. Instead, focus on the problem or behavior.

*Work towards an intended outcome - Either set this outcome in the beginning before you start or during the future part of the 3-step process above.

*Take ownership where possible - Look internally and see what you could have done better.

*View it as a learning opportunity - If both people are open and willing to make changes then you can come out of this as a stronger team. Having the right mindset with it is essential.

*Demonstrate empathy - Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and try to see things from their perspective and how they are feeling.

Conflict management requires a high level of communication and emotional intelligence. It also improves with practice. Approaching it with a system and the right mindset will give you the best chance to come out with a positive outcome.