Transcript Conflict Styles

Conflict Styles
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Conflict styles are the predominant ways that
people deal with conflict.
Most people rely on one or two styles that
are often defined by emphasis on concern for
the self or concern for the other.
The goal of an effective conflict manager is to
be able to use any conflict style when the
situation demands.
Assumptions about Styles
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People develop styles based on past
experience
People have reasons for the styles they use
Styles can undergo change
No one style is automatically better than
another
Thomas and Kilmann’s styles
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Two key dimensions
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Concern for the self (assertiveness)
Concern for the other (cooperativeness)
The styles are defined by the combinations
of dimensions (whether hi, moderate or low
on certain dimensions)
The styles are defined as pure types
Thomas and Kilmann’s styles
Competing
Concern
For Self
Collaborating
Compromising
Avoiding
Accommodating
Concern for Other
Verbal Description of Styles
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Avoiding: low on protecting your interests and theirs.
Avoidance can be either physical and/or
psychological
Accommodating: meeting the needs of the other
person but ignoring your own needs. “giving in” to
the desires of the other
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Conceding – a firmer version in which you strategically
accommodate to build relationship
Yielding – a weaker version in which you allow the other
party to control the situation and define the conflict
Verbal Description of Styles
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Competing: generally thought of as a winlose orientation in which you try to maximize
your gains
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Forcing – trying to get others to go along with you
by exerting power over them
Contending – a “softer form of competing” in that
you are somewhat flexible about your position
while considering only your own goals
Verbal Description of Styles
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Compromising: involves a moderate
protection of your needs as well as theirs.
Also assumes there are fixed resources
Collaborating: When you are interested in
maximizing your own gains as well as the
other’s. Problem-solving style in which the
parties work together against the problem.
Selecting Conflict Styles
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Five key diagnostic questions
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How important are the issues to you?
How important are the issues to the other?
How important is it to maintain a positive
relationship?
How much time pressure is there?
To what extent does one party trust the other?
When Each Style is the Best
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Avoiding
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When the issue is trivial to you
When there is no long-term relationship
When you are the low power party in a serious
power imbalance
Competing
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When the other will be very competitive
When important others expect you to compete
AND when the stakes are high
When Each Style is the Best
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Accommodating
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When the issue is trivial to you
When harmony in the relationship is all important
When you are the low power party in a serious power
imbalance
When you want to build trust in the other by demonstrating a
protection of their interests
Compromising
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When there are truly finite resources
When there are no means to increase the divisible
resources
When Each Style is the Best
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Collaborating
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When the issue is complex and requires creativity
When there is a long-term relationship
When their implementation of the decision is
necessary