It’s important to emphasise that dealing with conflict early is usually easier, because positions are not so entrenched, others are less likely to have started to take sides, and the negative emotions are not so extreme.
The best way to address a conflict in its early stages is through negotiation between the participants.
Later on, those in conflict are likely to need the support of mediation, or even arbitration or a court judgement, so it’s much better to resolve things early.
There are strategies that are being used for dealing with conflicts, which can be considered in terms of who wins and who loses, such as: compete or fight, collaborate, compromise or negotiate, denial or avoidance and smoothing over the problem.
A resolution that creates a win-win situation is always going to be better for everyone.