Different conflicts need different tools.
A standards conflict needs a clear bar. An ownership conflict needs decision rights. A values conflict needs leadership judgment. A misunderstanding needs reconstruction, not a speech.
When you skip diagnosis, you bring the wrong instrument. You apologize for a boundary, debate a misunderstanding, or coach someone when the system has not assigned ownership.
Operator artifact: classify the conflict before choosing tone or forum: standard, ownership, facts, values, behavior, or accumulated residue. Then pick the next move.
Field test: Classify one active conflict before deciding whether to talk, write, escalate, or wait.
This is part 3 of 10 in Conflict Without Damage.
