There is no winner in any fight– just a side that loses less.

BigSpeak EVP and People Whisperer Ken Sterling argues that conflict is especially unproductive because at the end of the day, there are no real winners. Even the person who appears to have come out on top is likely emotionally unsettled, exhausted, and has burned bridges that may be irreparable. When it comes to large-scale legal conflicts, this is even worse, with both parties potentially sinking years of their life into a stressful case that leaves both with anxiety, more gray hairs, and higher blood pressure.

In a recent article, Sterling offers five helpful, easy to apply tips for avoiding conflict outright through a combination of social curation, boundary setting, and deescalation methods.

BigSpeak’s frequent partner JP Pawliw-Fry is an invaluable resource for those seeking to nip conflict in the bud. His S-O-S Framework is designed to help people deescalate situations before they go nuclear– which is the worst case scenario. Both he and Sterling strongly advocate for separating oneself from the argument and truly reflecting on how necessary it is to come to heads with a person.

For  their complete list of insights, read the initial article here.