Defuse conflicts: Experts reveal practical solutions!

Defuse conflicts: Experts reveal practical solutions!

On September 24th, 2025, the conflict consultants Kirsten Schroeter and Lin Adrian spoke in an interview about their new book “Understanding and Processing Conflicts”. This work offers practical approaches to dealing with conflicts constructively and aims to better understand and manage tensions in relationships. Loud European University Viadrina Conflicts often hide deeper themes and concerns that are not immediately apparent.

The authors have been working as conflict consultants and mediators in Denmark and Germany for many years. Her years of experience led to the revision and adaptation of a Danish book for German-speaking countries. The book is aimed at people who want to deal with conflicts more flexibly, including specialists and managers as well as professional consultants. It contains classic conflict theories and covers topics such as justice, power, emotions and cognitive distortions.

Practical approaches to conflict resolution

An example of a practical approach is conflict analysis when planning vacations in a team. The dissatisfaction of the team members is discussed and the general conditions are discussed. Such calm conversations can strengthen mutual understanding and help find individual solutions. These approaches illustrate the authors' desire to give more space to European literature and research.

In the discussion about conflict management, Friedrich Glasl's model is also referred to. In 1980, the Austrian conflict researcher developed a model for the escalation of conflicts that describes three phases with a total of nine intermediate stages. In the first phase (win-win), conflicts can usually be resolved peacefully, but tensions quickly arise, which lead to heated debates and the first hostile actions. With good conflict management, a satisfactory solution for both parties is possible. This is supported by the authors' experiences, who emphasize the importance of proactively dealing with conflicts.

Phases of conflict escalation

If conflicts continue to escalate, you reach the second phase (win-lose), in which both parties try to win the conflict for themselves. This is where coalitions form and power games come into play. Often one party is left as a loser, which puts a strain on the relationship. If the situation worsens further, you will find yourself in the third phase (lose-lose), in which the conflict has escalated to such an extent that both sides only want to harm each other. A frightening example of such a conflict is that between roommates, which can escalate from initial tensions to violent confrontations.

These findings underline the need for qualified conflict management skills in various areas of life. The book by Schroeter and Adrian offers valuable instructions on how to avoid violence and improve interpersonal relationships. In a context that affects both the personal and professional spheres, dealing with conflicts constructively is essential.

The book's publication is expected by the general public and could make a significant contribution to the discussion on conflict management and resolution.