The main aim of conflict resolution is to ensure that both opposed parties come to an amicable agreement despite the varied opinions of both groups. A sufficient resolution prevents further worsening of the situation and prolonging a disagreement considering the conflict between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin; we can assess the effectiveness of a conflict resolution process at the following stages (Jones, 2013).
The first stage involves having a conversion with both parties as they explain their individual versions of the situation. Giving both persons a chance to say what they think caused the confrontation will provide you with a clear picture of the issue. At this stage, the mediator seeks to understand the parties involved and learns their reasons for disagreeing. He also has a chance of finding out the leading cause of the conflict. If this is clearly done and the cause of the war is well established, then we can say that the first stage was successful (Coleman, 2011).
In this case, both sides had credible facts that made them think that they were right and the other party is to be disregarded like in the case of Trayvon Martin who feels that he was wrongly attacked and on the other hand George Zimmerman thinks he was acting within his mandate when he shot Martin (Jones, 2013).
The second stage deals with the emotions of both individuals and try to validate these feelings without making either party think that they have a weaker argument. By resolving their emotional issues, the warring persons are given a chance at getting past the feelings of anger, disrespect, and violation.
At this stage, when both parties have defended their opinions and agreed that they have a problem, then various avenues of managing the conflict can be proposed. When Zimmerman strongly believes that he was acting for the good of the neighborhood when he followed Martin while on the other hand, Martin feels that his rights as an individual were violated (Ford, 2013).
In a bid to understand why they acted the way they did, the character of these individuals is studied. This character critic is related to how they worked during the whole confrontation. More knowledge of their name is sought from their friends and family. These witnesses provide insight into the reputations of the conflicting individuals. Due to the varied emotional effect, the incident had Trayvon had a lot of sympathy from the general public who saw him as the victim, while Zimmerman had to bear the guilt and also deal with the emotional toll the aftermath of this incident caused him.
An effective crisis solution here is when both Martin and Zimmerman get to be understood by explaining why the choice they made was the appropriate cause of action to take at that particular moment (Ford, 2013).
Finally, the last stage of a successful resolution is a reenactment of the scene when it occurred, and the parties involved are shown how they would have reacted so as not to worsen the conflict or let the situation escalate like in this case leading to a shooting. In this stage, the most important thing is to maximize the use of communication skills and to incorporate the techniques of confrontation, confirmation, and comprehension.
Confrontation ensures that all possible communication avenues are explored so as both parties get to understand the other’s point of view. Using the confirmation technique, the individuals will learn why the person acted out the way they did, and all misunderstandings will be cleared out. The comprehension technique is used to enable them to have a rational conversation in which each can explain their intentions and see how their actions led to a conflict (Coleman, 2011).
In conclusion, a successful conflict resolution should be able to realize full understanding between the different people, deal with the emotions arising from the confrontation and finally lead to a solution that is agreeable by both parties.
References
Coleman, P. (2011). The Five Percent: Finding Solutions to Seemingly Impossible. London, United Kingdom: McGraw Hill.
Ford, D. (2013). George Zimmerman trial underway as the jury selection process begins. Web.
Jones, T. (2013). Conflict Coaching. Web.