3 Key Attributes to Co-resolution
- Co-resolution involves two negotiation advocates/conflict coaches (“co-resolvers”) who continually work with each other as partners in a single enterprise, personally assisting conflicting disputants on an ad hoc basis.
- The ongoing relationship between the co-resolvers makes sure that they will not undercut, manipulate, or deceive each other. Competitive tactics can be reciprocated by the other negotiator later, and maintaining a positive negotiating relationship offers continuous benefits in future interactions (thus enforcing cooperation across the table).
- Because co-resolution is a negotiation-based forum, either party can withdraw and terminate the assistance of both co-resolvers to pursue other forums if they feel pressured by their own co-resolver (thus enforcing loyalty between each co-resolver and their assigned party).
For mediators, this process provides greater involvement in the negotiation, a method to directly enhance party participation, and a powerful, appealing role to offer disputants.
The value of this structure is explained in this short essay:
Standard partisan roles, such as attorney and conflict coach, operate independently--each party (circle) brings their own advocate (square) to the table. These advocates may lack past or future interactions and, therefore, the opportunity to build trust. Because unfamiliar negotiators cannot know each other's minds, the two advocates will negotiate competitively in order to counteract the competitive approach that the other side is likely pursuing. This Prisoner's Dilemma situation leads to manipulative negotiation tactics and positional bargaining rather than an open, cooperative search for the best solution for both sides. These standard, independent advocates were designed for adjudication (where both sides must pull to their full ethical extent) rather than negotiation (in which both sides aim to reach a voluntary agreement).
To better fit a negotiation-based forum, co-resolution involves two negotiation assistants/advocates that work together in a continuing partnership. This means that the advocates (called "co-resolvers") primarily work with each other but assist conflicting disputants. Under these conditions, the co-resolvers can directly assist separate parties for optimal negotiation because any competitive tendencies are kept in check by their relationship. Remember, assuring that negotiators will interact repeatedly will cause them to focus on the infinite future gains available through maintaining a positive negotiating relationship with each other. Co-resolution therefore provides each party with a personal negotiation assistant that is designed to be cooperative.This cooperative form of advocacy provides parties with a number of protections.
- First, because advocacy is hinged on cooperation and good relations with the other side, each party is guaranteed that the other side will negotiate in an open, cooperative manner.
- Second, as a negotiation-based form of advocacy, any party can unilaterally terminate the informal process, forcing each co-resolver to remain loyal and supportive of their assigned party.
This forum therefore ensures that both sides cooperate and also that the advocates are not so cooperative toward the opposite side that they betray their own party.
Under this setup, each co-resolver acts as a coach to their own side and as a mediator to the other side.
As coaches, the co-resolvers will bring their separate parties to negotiate at
an optimal level by preparing them with cooperative tactics, encouraging them to think through their choices, and standing up for them when they are vulnerable. What differentiates these efforts from standard conflict coaching is that the relationship between the co-resolvers keeps their partisan actions in line with principled negotiation and cooperation.
As mediators, the co-resolvers will direct mediation-type efforts across the table. They will therefore encourage each others' parties to focus on their underlying interests, expand their options, and consider solutions. When both co-resolvers assume this function across the table, they create an "invisible mediator" bringing both parties to come together in a settlement. Furthermore, these mediator-efforts will be balanced by the relationship between the co-resolvers--neither will unduly pressure the other side in the interest of good relations between continuing partners.Thus, co-resolution is a new dispute resolution process that provides each party with the assistance of a professional negotiator, keeps these advocates cooperative and loyal by the structure of their forum, and settles the dispute with a form of mediation that is based on balance rather than neutrality.
