How can you apply the Dual Concern Model to diagnose group conflict?

1 What is the Dual Concern Model?

The Dual Concern Model is a framework that identifies five conflict styles based on two dimensions: concern for self and concern for others. The concern for self reflects how much you prioritize your own goals, interests, and needs in a conflict situation, while the concern for others shows how much you value the goals, interests, and needs of the other party or parties involved. These five conflict styles are Avoiding, Accommodating, Competing, Compromising, and Collaborating. Avoiding is characterized by low concern for self and low concern for others; you may try to withdraw from the conflict in hopes that it will resolve itself. Accommodating involves low concern for self and high concern for others; here you would give in to the other party's demands or preferences, sacrificing your own interests to maintain harmony or relationships. Competing has high concern for self and low concern for others; this is where you assert your position or authority to win the conflict or achieve your goals at the expense of the other party. Compromising is when both parties have moderate levels of concern for self and others; here you seek a middle ground or a trade-off, where both parties give up something to reach a mutually acceptable solution. Lastly, Collaborating involves high levels of concern for self and others; you work together with the other party to find a creative and integrative solution that satisfies both parties' interests and needs.

2 Why is the Dual Concern Model useful?

The Dual Concern Model is useful because it helps you to recognize and understand your own and others' conflict styles, and how they affect the outcomes and relationships in a group conflict. By knowing your own conflict style, you can become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and how they influence your behavior and communication in a conflict situation. By knowing others' conflict styles, you can anticipate their reactions and responses, and adapt your approach accordingly. Moreover, the Dual Concern Model helps you to evaluate the suitability and effectiveness of different conflict styles for different situations, and to choose the most appropriate one based on the level of importance and interdependence of the issues and the parties involved.

3 How to apply the Dual Concern Model to diagnose group conflict?

To apply the Dual Concern Model to diagnose group conflict, you can follow these steps: Identifying the source and nature of the conflict is key, such as understanding the main issues, interests, and needs of each party. Assessing your own and others' conflict styles is also important, as it can affect outcomes and relationships in the group. Choosing an appropriate conflict style based on concern for self and others should be done with consideration for potential benefits and risks. Finally, implementing the chosen style effectively requires appropriate skills and strategies, such as active listening, empathy, brainstorming, problem-solving techniques, assertiveness, persuasion, and evidence-based arguments.

4 How to adjust your conflict style if needed?

Sometimes, it may be necessary to adjust your conflict style if the situation changes or the chosen style does not work. To do so, you should monitor the progress and feedback of the conflict resolution process, evaluating its effectiveness and appropriateness. If it is not achieving desired outcomes or relationships in the group, you can modify your conflict style. For example, if you are avoiding an important and interdependent conflict, you may need to switch to collaborating or compromising. On the other hand, if you are accommodating an unimportant and independent conflict, you may need to switch to competing or avoiding.

5 How to develop your conflict style repertoire?

To develop your conflict style repertoire, it's important to reflect on your past and present experiences, seek feedback from others, and learn and practice different conflict styles and skills. Consider the reasons and consequences of your conflict style, how others perceive it, and the suggestions for improvement. Additionally, assess the characteristics of each conflict style, how to apply them to different situations, the challenges and opportunities of each one, and how to overcome barriers and leverage strengths.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?