Styles of Managing Conflict

Conflict arises when competing interests meet while trying to achieve similar goals. Economic, moral and power struggles are all frequent sources of conflict. How we choose to approach the situation can have a direct effect on how that conflict is resolved. Utilizing the right strategy, or applying a combination of strategies, can help achieve a positive outcome.

Cooperative
People who use the cooperative style of conflict resolution work with the other party to find a mutually beneficial solution. Attention is paid to the needs of the other party while still seeking a positive outcome for your interests. By cooperating with the other party, both sides can try to achieve a win-win situation.

Compromising
When the other party doesn’t engage in a cooperative approach, engaging in a compromising negotiation may still yield some positive results. The focus is to satisfy some of your interests realizing that it may not be possible to satisfy all of them. Parties utilizing this approach may have the mindset that gaining something is better than not achieving anything.

Competing
The competing approach to conflict resolution requires that the engaging party focus solely on its own self-interests. Parties using this type of conflict resolution style negotiate from the viewpoint that the only acceptable outcome is getting what they want. Relationships are reduced to secondary considerations as the focus is solely on achieving complete victory.

Accommodating
The opposite of the competing approach is the accommodating approach. Parties engaging in this style place a higher emphasis on maintaining relationships than achieving personal goals. Accommodating negotiators place their own self-interests last and ensure others get what they want.

Avoiding
Some people choose to deal with conflict by ignoring it. These people let others make the decisions. The danger of this approach is that the conflict is usually not resolved in a favorable way. Choosing not to be involved in the decision-making process relegates your needs to the sidelines, leaving your interests unrepresented.