4.4.d Moving from Conflict to Dialogue: Conflict Strategies

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Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances." - Thomas Jefferson

As you develop your self-awareness, you can adjust your conflict management strategies. For example, as you notice a conflict strategy being used by another person, you can identify their strategy and adjust your own conflict strategy to match, or contrast theirs.

There are a variety of conflict management strategies. We have chosen five for this module. They are:

  • Competing
  • Avoiding
  • Accommodating
  • Compromising
  • Collaborating

Review the table below to understand the characteristics of each strategy. Some people embody a combination of two or even three of these strategies, and for others, a single style is dominant. No one style is absolutely right or wrong; each style has its time and place to be used. Be cautious that some of these conflict management styles clash and escalate conflict.

It may seem obvious that a person with a competing conflict management style might be able to avoid conflict with someone whose style seems opposite. However, these styles have no direct opposite, and therefore all conflict management styles have the equal potential to contribute to conflict or harmony. In a health care setting, a team can benefit from a mixture of several or all of these styles to address and transform conflict.