Styles Of Handling Conflict
Avoiding: Lower Assertion, Lower Cooperation
Handling conflict with the "accommodating" style can look like a few things:
- deferring decisions to the other's decisions
- POSITIVE when stakes are low, and as a way of reducing conflict tensions
- PROBLEMATIC when this is a "fallback" style, and you might really have a preference. Your preference will likelybe missed, and you may develop a bit of a "martyr complex", putting indirect stress on a relationship
Accommodating: Lower Assertion, Higher Cooperation
Handling conflict with the "accommodating" style can look like a few things:
- deferring decisions to the other's decisions
- POSITIVE when stakes are low, and as a way of reducing conflict tensions
- PROBLEMATIC when this is a "fallback" style, and you might really have a preference. Your preference will likelybe missed, and you may develop a bit of a "martyr complex", putting indirect stress on a relationship
Compromising: Moderate Assertion, Moderate Cooperation
Handling conflict with the "compromising" style can look like a few things:
- figuring out how both parties involved can "come to terms" with both parties "loosing out" on something. An idealized outcome for both parties is not met here
- POSITIVE when a fair, equal, and non-ideal outcome might be the best outcome
- PROBLEMATIC when there might be "deeper" desires at hand
Competing: High Assertion, Low Cooperation
Handling conflict with the "competing" style can look like a few things:
- POSITIVE
- PROBLEMATIC $$
References
The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode is the major influence of the conflict styles. I personally learned a bit about the 5 conflict styles through an online certification from Cornell.