What is your conflict resolution style?

2 The five conflict resolution styles

Conflict resolution styles can vary depending on the situation. Avoiding involves withdrawing from the conflict, either physically or emotionally, without expressing views or needs. Accommodating involves sacrificing your own interests and needs for the sake of harmony and relationships. Competing is when you assert your own interests and needs to win the conflict. Compromising is when you seek a mutual concession with the other person, balancing your own interests with those of the other person. Lastly, collaborating involves working together to find an integrative solution that satisfies both of your interests and needs. Each style can be used in different circumstances, such as when you have no power or influence, when you need to protect yourself or others, when you want to learn from the other person, or when you want to enhance trust and commitment.

4 How to improve your conflict resolution style

To improve your conflict resolution style, you need to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and be flexible and adaptable to different contexts and people. Some strategies that can help you include recognizing and respecting the other person's style and perspective, choosing the most appropriate style for each situation, developing your communication, negotiation, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence skills, seeking feedback and guidance from others, and practicing and experimenting with different styles while monitoring and evaluating your results. It is also important to understand the interests and needs of the other party in order to achieve successful outcomes.

5 How to manage conflict resolution styles in teams

As a team leader or team member, you may encounter different conflict resolution styles among your colleagues, which can have an effect on the team's performance, cohesion, and morale. To manage this, you should set up a positive and respectful team culture, where conflict is seen as an opportunity for learning and improvement. Additionally, it's important to create clear and shared team goals, roles, and norms that are communicated regularly and transparently. Open and constructive dialogue should be encouraged so that everyone can express their views and needs. Team members should be supported in developing their conflict resolution skills and styles, with feedback and recognition provided. When necessary, intervene and mediate to help team members resolve their conflicts in a fair and effective way.

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?