Conflict Management Styles: Assessing, Understanding, and Developing Effective Strategies

1. Objectives • Assess your dominant conflict style • Understand the conflict styles defined by the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument • Develop strategies for improving individual and team approaches to conflict management

2. What does your conflict style say about you?

3. Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument Competing Win Dominate Collaborating Win-Win Integration assertive Compromising Find middle ground Share unassertive Avoiding Delay Neglect Accommodating Yield Appeasement uncooperative cooperative

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Pi7dbdTiQ "The second dysfunction is a fear of conflict among team members. All great relationships require productive conflict in order to grow.” The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni

5. Good conflict is about unfiltered, passionate debate around issues • Conflict will at times be uncomfortable • Conflict norms must be clear • The fear of personal conflict should not prevent productive debate

6. Competing • Goal • To win • Psychology • High on assertiveness • Low on cooperativeness • Appropriate application • When quick, decisive action is vital, like emergencies • When unpopular actions need implementing on important issues • When you know you are ‘right’ on issues vital to organizational welfare Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

7. Competing • Gains • Chance to win everything • Exercise own sense of power • Alienates others • Exciting • Gamesmanship • Losses • Chance to lose everything • Discourages others from working with you Competing Collaboration Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

8. Collaborating • Goal • To find a win-win situation • Psychology • High assertiveness • High cooperativeness • Appropriate application • When both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised in finding an integrative solution • When your objective is to learn • To merge insights from people with different perspectives • To gain commitment by incorporating concerns into a consensus Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

9. Collaborating • Gains • Both sides “win” • Creativity in problem solving • Maintains relationship • New level of understanding of situation • Improves quality of solution and commitment • Losses • Nobody wins when there is a tie • Risk alienating all sides Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

10. Compromising • Goal • To find a middle ground • Psychology • Moderate assertiveness • Moderate cooperativeness • Appropriate application • When goals are important, but not worth the effort or potential disruption of more assertive modes • When opponents with equal power are committed to mutually exclusive goals • To achieve temporary settlements to complex issues • To arrive at expedient solutions under time pressure • As a backup when collaborating or competing is unsuccessful Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

11. Compromising •  Gains • No one returns home empty-handed  • Keeps the peace • May or may not encourage creativity • Losses • Since neither side is totally satisfied, conflicts are likely to recur later • Neither side realizes self-determination fully • May or may not encourage creativity   Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

12. Avoiding • Goal • To delay • Psychology • Low on assertiveness • Low on cooperativeness • Appropriate application • When an issue is trivial or more important issues are pressing • When you perceive no chance of satisfying your concerns • When potential disruption outweighs the benefits of resolution • To let people cool down and regain perspective • When gathering information supersedes immediate decision • When others can resolve the conflict more effectively Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

13. Avoiding • Gains • No energy expenditure: Conserve for more important fights • Losses • Less stimulation • Less creative problem solving • Little understanding  of the needs of others • Incomplete comprehension of work  environment Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

14. Accommodating • The goal • To yield • Psychology • Low on assertiveness • High on cooperativeness  • Appropriate application • When you decide to allow a better position to be heard and to learn and show your reasonableness • When issues are more important to others than yourself • To minimize loss when you are outmatched and losing • When harmony and stability are especially important Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

15. Accommodating • Gains • Little muss or fuss • No feathers ruffled • Others may view you as supportive • Energy free for other pursuits • Losses • Lowered self-assertion • Risk of lowered self-esteem • Loss of power • Absence of your unique contribution to the situation • Others dependent on you may not think you “go to bat” for them Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

16. Conclusion • People tend to handle negative conflict in patterned styles • Competing • Collaborating • Compromising • Avoiding • Accommodating • There is no single best conflict management style • Each style has strengths and limitations depending on the situation • Being aware of our personal style is a first step toward developing personal and team strategies for more effectively handling inevitable conflicts • By effectively managing conflict we can energize ourselves and others in constructive directions Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating