How to Stop Fighting Step #4 Fighting Fairly: Developing a System for Handling Disputes

Developing a Dispute Resolution Plan

• It takes more than correcting misunderstandings to avoid (or resolve) disputes.



• People in long-term relationships also need to establish agreed-upon procedures for resolving their disputes fairly.



• Rather than reinventing the procedure each time a problem develops, it is helpful to have a general plan for dealing with everyday disputes and conflicts.

Sometimes the procedure is the problem. If the decision-making procedure is thought to be fair, people are a lot less likely to get angry -- even when decisions differ from what they wanted.