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Clarification questions ...
help to understand points of view, to see things in context and with respect
to the background– they make the emergence of conflicts intelligible.
Moreover, interests and relationship patterns are worked out in this way:
 | How did the problems emerge in your opinion? |
| What could we both do to improve the situation? |
Specifying questions ...
help to break open assumed or attributed questions or behavior, getting to
the point and moving it to concrete and realizable action levels.
| How does this so-called conceitedness actually show? |
| In what kind of situations do I seem especially neglecting
to you? |
Hypothetical questions ...
are the joker questions in conflict management. They help both conflict
partners to describe possible solutions, to activate positive resources and to
widen the repertoire of solution possibilities. They are a bit complex to be
formulated, but it pays off to think of such questions ahead, before a conflict
discussion.
| Assuming that we sit together about half a year from now
and celebrate the system´s starting up. What would have to happen for this
to become possible? |
| Supposing we had solved the current difficulties to the
satisfaction of both our sides. What would we do differently in the next
project? |
Circular questions ...
aim at change of the previous (or present) point of view by bringing third
participants into play. But beware: No moralizing appeals!
| Who would have the best chuckle if the two of us had to
give up on this attempt to solve the conflict? |
| What would the process engineers in your company say if the
cost pressure was so strong that you have to make concessions with the
measuring quality? |
Paradox questions ...
aim at irritation, as well, and try to change rigid views and judgements.
They are always useful when one or both conversation partners think “there´s
no way out now” or “we can´t do anything anymore”. At the root of a
paradox question is the assumption that where you can make something worse,
there must also be a possibility for improvement.
| What would have to happen so that your department would
break off contact with us completely? |
| What would the two of us have to do so that our project
drags on without result for another 3 months? |
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