CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Strategies used in each conflict management
1. (SHARK) Competing - is assertive and uncooperative. An individual pursues his or
her own concerns at the other person's expense. This is a power oriented mode
in which one uses whatever power seems appropriate to win ones own position.
When to use Competition:
1. When you know you are right.
2. When you need a quick decision.
3. When you meet a steamroller type of person and you need to stand up for your own rights.
2. (TEDDY BEAR) Accommodating - is unassertive and uncooperative. This is the opposite of
competing. When accommodating, an individual neglects his/her own concerns to
satisfy the concerns of the other person. There is an element of self-sacrifice
in this mode.
When to use accommodating:
1. When the issue is not so important to you but it is
to the other person.
2. When you discover that you are wrong.
3. When continued competition would be detrimental -
"you know you can't win."
4. When preserving harmony without disruption is the
most important - "it's not the right time."
2. (TURTLE) Avoiding - is unassertive and cooperative. When a person does not pursue
her/his own concerns or those of the other person, He/she does not address the
conflict, but rather sidesteps, postpones or simply withdraws.
When to use avoiding:
1. When the stakes aren't that high and you don't have
anything to lose - "when the issue is trivial."
2. When you don't have time to deal with it.
3. When the context isn't suitable - "it isn't the
right time or place."
4. When more important issues are pressing.
5. When you see no chance of getting your concerns met.
6. When you would have to deal with an angry, hot headed
person.
7. When you are totally unprepared, taken by surprise,
and you need time to think and collect information.
8. When you are too emotionally involved and the others
around you can solve the conflict more successfully.
3. (OWL) Collaborating - is both assertive and cooperative. This is the opposite of
avoiding. Collaboration involves an attempt to work with the other person to
find some solution which fully satisfies the concerns of both persons. It
includes identifying the underlying concerns of the two individuals and finding
an alternative which meets both sets of concerns.
When to use collaboration:
1. When other's lives are involved.
2. When you don't want to have full responsibility.
3. When there is a high level of trust.
4. When you want to gain commitment from others.
5. When you need to work through hard feelings,
animosity, etc.
The best decisions are made by collaboration.
4. (FOX) Compromising - is intermediate in both assertiveness and cooperativeness.
The objective of compromise is to find some expedient, mutually acceptable
solution which partially satisfies both parties. It falls in the middle group
between competing and accommodating. Compromise gives up more than competing,
but is less than accommodating.
When to use
compromise:
1. When the goals are moderately important and not worth the use
of more assertive modes.
2. When people of equal status are equally committed.
3. To reach temporary settlement on complex issues.
4. To reach expedient solutions on important issues.
5. As a back-up mode when
competition or collaboration don't work.
