The 3 Rs – Respect, Recognition and Relatedness – Essentials in Conflict Resolution

Abstract

Recent brain research has proven scientifically what many religions and cultures have known over centuries, and what a team of innovation catalysts in the USA discovered in the late 1950s: Treating people with respect benefits our relationships – and helps us to resolve conflicts while we develop creative solutions to problems.

A practitioner of a well-proven approach to collaborative innovation will bring together key principles of this approach with concepts regarding the African Ubuntu culture, emotional intelligence, and “Power and Love” (Adam Kahane). Neuroscience research, summarised in David Rock’s SCARF model, shows why “positive” behaviours demonstrating respect, recognition and relatedness promote mutual understanding, reduce stress levels, and so enable development of shared and implementable solutions to sticky problems and conflicts.