Guest post by Jake Blocker
When was the last time you were faced with a conflict at work? At any point throughout your professional career, it is inevitable that you will have to deal with conflict in some form or another. Whether there is a dispute with a boss, a co-worker, employees, or any other issue within your workplace, understanding the conflict resolution styles can help you better communicate, assess, and handle the situation in the best manner possible.
The first step towards resolving any conflict is understanding the different ways individuals deal with conflict. Every issue is unique, as is how involved parties will approach the situation. There are 5 conflict resolution styles: collaborating, avoiding, competing, accommodating, and compromising.
Collaborating
Those who use a collaborating approach aim to satisfy everyone involved. They work with others to find a solution while being both assertive and cooperative. Collaborating works best in sustaining long-term relationships by searching for agreeable scenarios and minimizing negative feelings. Sacrifice may be needed on both sides.
Avoiding
The opposite of collaborating is avoiding. This is a style used by those who are uncooperative and unassertive. Those who avoid will try to remove or separate themselves from any situation that may be intimidating or alarming. Avoiding can be used well if postponing the conflict for a more appropriate time is necessary, but avoiding entirely or too often can lead to furthering the issue at hand.
Competing
The competing style is used by those who are uncooperative, assertive, and aim to satisfy their own concerns at someone else’s expense. If the relationship is not important, competing can be a resourceful style to use. However, building and sustaining relationships is incredibly important in most work environments, making this style mostly undesirable.
Accommodating
Accommodating is the opposite of competing, as those who use the accommodating style are willing to sacrifice. These people aim to satisfy the other person. Though this appears unselfish and kind, this style opens the door to being taken advantage of, potentially leading to negative feelings. But if the outcome isn’t as important to one party as it is to the other, accommodating can help preserve the relationship.
Compromising
Those who use the compromising style focus on finding the most mutually acceptable solution possible for each involved party. Compromising embraces cooperation while allowing for assertiveness. Especially when the outcome is not of great importance but time is of the essence, this style helps make quick decisions. For this, it is vital for everyone involved to be fully transparent.
Communication Practices to Remember
Remember to focus on what you can control. Some great communication practices to remember during a conflict: focus on your breathing to remain calm, ask questions to help you understand and help the other person think, lower your tone of voice and slow your rate of speech to avoid tension and be understood, state your goals honestly to avoid any confusion.
Conflict within the workplace is normal and inevitable, so it is important to not be afraid of it. When conflict is resolved properly, it can lead to increased productivity, motivation, and strengthened relationships. When you have an understanding of the 5 styles of conflict resolution, you will better understand how to address and communicate with individuals differently.
Jake Blocker is a communication expert, with a primary focus in building strong relationships that lead to more balanced, cohesive, and productive work environments where people truly thrive. Jake uses his writing to help professionals find balance in their careers with the use of proper communication techniques, practices, and philosophy.
