How can you apply the right conflict management style in any situation?

In my experience over the past decade, I have taught these five conflict styles in my training and it has helped leaders transform their relationships and the workplace. One thing to remember about these five styles is that each person can ebb and flow between them. It is important to understand your primary style in a calm or non-elevated setting and also your primary style when you are in active conflict. Knowing your two styles helps you understand how you are perceived in conflict and what opportunities you have to diffuse the conflict when communicating with others who may be different from you.

An example of this is having an employee upset over a recent performance review. The person may have a directing conflict style and come to you visibly upset over the review and demand answers. In that moment, realizing that the task is more important than their relationship with you which means you will need to lead with facts as opposed to, the elements of your relationship with that person. In other words, showing them the data that led to the decision is the best way to resolve this conflict in real time. Period. Asking questions for clarity and using words like, does this make sense? How would you rate yourself in the situation? What rubric would you use to evaluate employees? This allows insight into their thinking.

As a CEO who is educated in Workforce DVLP (Trauma-Informed Care) means that analysis begins in VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT. From that juncture- I can better ALIGN with the person(s) at the centre of our requirements. Thusly- active listening, style flexibility, and transparency tend towards optimal harmonization of the team with workflow while helping maintain independence in terms of internal congruency.

For me, myself, it involves Active and/or mindful listening+style flexibility. I learned, on the job, Team DVLP per Trauma-Informed care practices & principles which necessitates person-centred development. When helping coordinate a team towards optimal growth; it behooves me, myself, in being open to critical feedback! So I use active listening in terms of HEARING each word the person says, perhaps moving to a neutral location off-site (let's do lunch), or delegating with Intention to the leadership team. Ideally; working with the PPL on the team inculcates optimal harmonization, collaboration, and coordination. Being a CEO who is CLINICALLY-educates removes me, myself, from the situation while FOCALIZING upon the individual(s)

In my experience, I evaluate the conflict style of the person. I am dealing with in real time so if I need to move to a more relational model, I can do it quickly. Sometimes people need more of a relationship approach to a conflict than a task approach. Knowing your primary and secondary conflict styles helps you adjust quickly to the other parties style. if they need fact or need a confidence booster, you can respond with facts and confidence in the right doses, which balances the power in the conflict. Conflict is not about winning or losing, it is about creating the best alternative to a negotiated agreement for both parties.

Familiarize yourself with different conflict management styles, such as collaborating, compromising, accommodating, competing, and avoiding. Analyze the conflict situation at hand. Consider the nature of the conflict, the involved parties, the importance of the issue, and the relationship dynamics between the parties. Understand your default or preferred conflict resolution style. Awareness of your tendencies helps in consciously adapting when necessary. Be flexible in your approach. Choose a conflict management style that aligns with the specific needs of the situation rather than relying solely on your default style. Opt for a collaborative style when the issue is significant, and maintaining relationships is crucial.

Learn negotiation techniques to navigate conflicts effectively. Understand principles like win-win negotiations, bargaining, and creating value in negotiations. Participate in conflict management workshops, courses, or seminars to acquire specific conflict resolution techniques and strategies. Engage in role-playing scenarios to simulate conflict situations. This practice allows you to apply different conflict resolution styles and strategies in a safe environment. Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or supervisors on your conflict resolution skills. Constructive feedback helps identify areas for improvement and reinforces effective practices. Continuously learn from experiences and reflect on your conflict resolution approaches.

Practicing is very important when it comes to managing conflict however, it is imperative that you seek resources to inform your learning. In most cases, people will have to unlearn bad behaviors, which are usually value and opinion, driven in order to release, biases, power dynamics, prejudices, and sometimes just dislike for the other party, due to past rivalries or personalities. Conflict is best negotiated, when you neutralize as much of the aforementioned conflict barriers as possible.