David Liddle’s Managing Conflict: A Practical Guide to Resolution in the Workplace offers a refreshingly human-centered roadmap for resolving disputes that is deeply aligned with the principles of the understanding-based approach. For those of us who work in mediation, law, HR, and other conflict resolution fields, this book invites a shift – from managing behavior through rigid systems and punitive procedures to fostering dialogue, accountability, and growth. Liddle presents a compelling argument for transforming workplace conflict from something to be feared or suppressed into a generative force for learning and connection.
At the heart of the book is a critique of traditional grievance and disciplinary procedures, which Liddle characterizes as outdated and adversarial. These systems, he argues, too often fuel defensiveness, entrench positional thinking, and isolate individuals rather than bringing them together. This assessment resonates strongly with those of us steeped in the understanding-based approach. Like Liddle, we believe that resolution begins not with judgment or coercion, but with understanding – of ourselves, of each other, and of the dynamics at play. The author’s call to reframe workplace conflict as a shared responsibility rather than a managerial burden echoes our own values: that the people most affected by conflict should remain at the center of its resolution.
Liddle’s Resolution Framework – a cornerstone of the book – is a powerful synthesis of restorative practice, interest-based negotiation, and organizational development. It emphasizes proactive conflict competency across the organization, encouraging leaders and employees alike to develop the skills, mindset, and courage to engage constructively with difference. The understanding-based approach emphasizes the importance of voluntary participation, mutual responsibility, and the power of working together in the same room. His framework makes space for exactly this kind of engagement, embedding it into organizational culture in a practical and scalable way.
One of the book’s strengths is its attention to the real-world challenges practitioners face. Through case studies from companies like Burberry and Tesco, the author demonstrates how organizations can move from blame and bureaucracy to trust and transformation. He provides concrete tools – conflict cost calculators, conversation templates, and conflict health checklists – that support both the substance and spirit of collaborative resolution. These tools are helpful not only in assessing conflict but also in empowering stakeholders to step into the process with clarity and confidence. For practitioners of the understanding-based model, they can be a complement to the deeper work of exploring what lies beneath the conflict – the values, fears, assumptions, and aspirations that shape people’s positions.
Liddle also pays close attention to culture and leadership, emphasizing that lasting change cannot come from individual interventions alone. Conflict, he reminds us, is not a technical glitch to be patched but a relational phenomenon to be navigated. He urges leaders to become role models of emotional intelligence and constructive dialogue, cultivating psychological safety within their teams. This resonates with the understanding-based model’s emphasis on autonomy and connection: the belief that we are most fully ourselves not in isolation, but in relationship. Liddle challenges organizations to make conflict resolution not just a reactive fix, but a cornerstone of their identity and health.
Importantly, the book acknowledges the complexity of today’s workplace – its diversity, its distributed nature, its evolving norms. Liddle offers practical guidance on addressing cultural difference, hybrid work dynamics, and the new demands placed on managers as conflict handlers. In doing so, he avoids the trap of oversimplifying or universalizing solutions. Instead, he holds space for nuance and growth, much like the understanding-based mediator who remains present, curious, and non-directive, even when emotions run high.
Reading this book through the lens of the understanding-based approach feels less like discovering a new theory and more like encountering a fellow traveler. Liddle’s commitment to transparency, compassion, and shared ownership mirrors the foundational principles we hold dear. He does not suggest that conflict is easy, or that solutions can be engineered from the top down. Instead, he encourages us to step into conflict with humility and purpose – to listen more deeply, to speak more honestly, and to create the conditions in which transformation is possible.
In a time when workplace conflict can feel overwhelming or even paralyzing, Managing Conflict is a steady and inspiring guide. It reminds us that, with the right support and mindset, conflict can be a doorway rather than a wall. For conflict professionals seeking to deepen their impact and ground their work in a practical yet principled approach, David Liddle offers not only insight, but invitation – a call to bring the heart of understanding to the very places it’s most needed.