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Conflict Management StylesThere are five conflict management styles: 1) Avoiding –––~~~••• O •••~~~––– Conflict Management Styles: “Avoiding” Avoiding is when you prefer not to look at the issue, when you evade it, or when you delay it. Avoiding is when you decide that “staying away from the conflict” is the best route to take. If both parties involved in the conflict avoid the conflict, this is said to be a 0/0 – meaning – none of the parties involved in the conflict wins anything. –––~~~••• O •••~~~––– Conflict Management Styles: “Forcing” Forcing is when you impose your opinion, point of view, decision, etc., on the other party involved in the conflict. It is when you require the other party – by virtue of physical force, psychological force, political force, etc. – to accept your way or preference. If one of the parties in the conflict adopts the forcing style and the other party adopts the accommodating style (see below), this is said to be a 100/0 – meaning – the forcing party wins and the accommodating party loses. –––~~~••• O •••~~~––– Conflict Management Styles: “Accommodating” Accommodating is when you accept the other party’s will – despite the fact that you don’t want to accept it. It is when you comply, obey, or meet the terms of the other party’s need, without defending or asserting your own necessities. If one of the parties in the conflict adopts the accommodating style and the other party adopts the forcing style (see above), this is said to be a 0/100 – meaning – the accommodating party loses and the forcing party wins. –––~~~••• O •••~~~––– Conflict Management Styles: “Compromising” Compromising is when you negotiate – with the other party – an appropriate understanding for both parties involved in the conflict. It is when you trade something that you want for something that the other party also wants. If both parties in the conflict negotiate a mid-way agreement, it is said to be a 50/50 – meaning – both parties win and lose part of what they originally wanted. –––~~~••• O •••~~~––– Conflict Management Styles: “Collaborating” Collaborating is when both parties in the conflict reach an agreement that meets 100 per cent what both parties originally expected. It is when the result of the conflict fulfills the expectations of both parties in a positive way. If both parties reach a mutually beneficial agreement, it is said to be a 100/100 – meaning – it is a win/win for both of you. –––~~~••• O •••~~~––– Conclusion: You must keep in mind two things: First: There is no best style – the “best” style will depend on your specific situation. It is up to you to assess the state of affairs and decide which style is best for your particular circumstance. And Second: When properly managed, conflict is a marvelous source of new ideas, creativity and innovation, and it has the potential to promote positive change. –––~~~••• O •••~~~––– If you would like to learn more about conflict management styles through my speaking, training, or consulting services, please, click on this link. To learn about the skills you need to manage the performance of your direct reports, go to my Management Skills page. To learn about the skills you need to lead the performance of your entire organization, go to my Leadership Skills page. To learn about other useful skills, go to my More Skills page. My Privacy Policy:
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