A conflict is a situation when the interests, needs, goals or values of involved parties interfere with one another. In the workplace, conflicts are common and inevitable. Different stakeholders may have different priorities; conflicts may involve team members, departments, projects, organization and client, boss and subordinate, organization needs vs. personal needs. Often, a conflict is a result of perception. Is conflict a bad thing? Not necessarily. Often, a conflict presents
opportunities for improvement. Therefore, it is important to understand (and apply) various conflict resolution techniques. Also known as competing. An individual firmly pursues his or her own concerns despite resistance from the other person. This may involve pushing one viewpoint at the expense of another or maintaining firm resistance to another person’s actions. Examples of when forcing may be appropriate: Possible advantages of forcing: Some caveats of forcing:
Win-Win (Collaborating)Also known as confronting the problem or problem solving. Collaboration involves an attempt to work with the other person to find a win-win solution to the problem at hand - the one that most satisfies the concerns of both parties. The win-win approach sees conflict resolution as an opportunity to come to a mutually beneficial result. It includes identifying your opponent’s underlying concerns and finding an alternative which meets each party's concerns. Examples of when collaborating may be appropriate:
Possible advantages of collaborating:
Some caveats of collaborating:
CompromisingAlso known as reconciling. Compromising looks for an expedient and mutually acceptable solution which partially satisfies both parties. Examples of when compromise may be appropriate:
Possible advantages of compromise:
Some caveats of using compromise:
WithdrawingAlso known as avoiding. This is when a person neither pursues their own concerns nor those of their opponent. He or she does not address the conflict but sidesteps, postpones or simply withdraws. Examples of when withdrawing may be appropriate:
Possible advantages of withdrawing:
Some caveats of withdrawing:
SmoothingAlso known as accommodating. Smoothing is accommodating the concerns of other people first, rather than prioritizing one’s own concerns. Examples of when smoothing may be appropriate:
Possible advantages of smoothing:
Some caveats of smoothing:
Books on Conflict Management
Next Steps
What is the most effective method of conflict resolution?1. Problem Solving / Collaboration / Confronting. In this method, people involved in the conflict or having a difference in opinion, come forward to discuss the problem at hand with a very open mind. They focus on resolving the conflict and finding the best alternative/solution for the team.
What are the 5 methods of conflict resolution?According to the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), used by human resource (HR) professionals around the world, there are five major styles of conflict management—collaborating, competing, avoiding, accommodating, and compromising.
What is the best way to resolve conflict PMP?According to the PMBOK Guide (fourth edition), you can use six conflict resolution techniques to resolve conflicts:. Withdrawing or Avoiding.. Smoothing or Accommodating.. Compromising.. Forcing.. Collaborating.. Problem Solving or Confronting.. |