Conflicts can be managed in many ways i.e. its prevention, limitation, resolution or transformation of conflicts through the use of diplomatic skills. Techniques for handling conflicts involve preventing conflicts from breaking out or swelling or stopping or reducing the amount of violence by parties engaged in conflict.
Techniques for handling conflicts involve listening in to all the parties in an active or passive way. Listening to what another party is saying is an obvious way to learn more about their positions, interests, concerns, and fears. Passive listening gives no sense that you are taking in what is being said or even paying attention or not.
Active listening is a conscious way of showing the other party that you are listening and paying a close attention to what they are saying. Practices such as positive body language, summarizing and paraphrasing serve to show the other party respect and that you have understood their message.
The examples of paraphrasing in active listening are: "It sounds like...", "Do you mean...?", "I guess...", "In other words...", "So, you're saying..." etc. This does not mean you agree with it. Rather, these techniques can set the stage for a good working relationship with the other party.
Recognizing behavior which is specific to conflict situations needs some vigorous know-how of techniques for handling conflicts. One must be ready for hard bargaining, as well as a range of negotiating tactics as one may be dealing with parties involved in a bloody conflict with long-standing roots.
Techniques for handling conflicts comprise supporting in the termination of conflicts by finding a way out to them. Conflict transformation goes beyond seeking the termination of a specific conflict in order to resolve the fundamental matters in a deep-rooted conflict. Conflict settlement may consist of shifting the behavior of parties in conflict without resolution of their differences.