3.2.1 Conflict Management

Learning how to deal effectively with conflict when it arises is an important skill for advocates.

Different people handle conflict in different ways, and understanding a person’s conflict management style can help you to negotiate with them effectively. With practice, conflict can be managed, but not all conflict can be resolved.

Try to think of conflict not as something at which to win or lose but as something that helps people articulate their needs and get them met.

Here are the five common conflict management styles that you may encounter in yourself or others:

1. Accommodating: Someone has a high concern for others and exhibits passive behavior.

2. Collaborating: Someone has a high concern for others and exhibits assertive behavior.

3. Avoiding: Someone has a low concern for others and themselves and exhibits passive behavior.

4. Forcing: Someone has a high concern for their own needs and exhibits assertive behavior.

5. Compromising: Someone balances concern for themselves with concern for others as well as exhibiting a mix of passive and assertive behavior.

All conflict management styles are useful, and different styles can match different situations.

Rather than being fixed traits, conflict management styles overlap and often shift depending on the issue. Knowing your own style and being able to identify others’ styles can be a useful negotiation tool.