We all have moments of frustration whether they be associated with a friend, a family member, or a disagreement in your everyday life, but there are several positive strategies to utilize when it comes to dealing with conflict.
What qualifies as a conflict?
According to the Office of Human Resource Development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conflict is understood by examining various behaviors and the consequences each behavior produces on individuals living the problem.
Some General Conflict Management Techniques
Avoidance: This is used by the person who wishes to ignore the problem, suppressing it, and thinks, “I will allow it to dissipate or weaken." Unfortunately, the contrary is happening when avoiding the situation. The problem festers under the surface until the inflammation is no longer avoidable and will need to be addressed.
Standing your Ground: People who use this technique may be, or appear to be, controlling and aggressive in their means of communication. They fear not having their needs met if they do not set the rules, control the situation, and direct the conversation.
Surrendering: Often perceived as the diplomat, the person using this tactic concedes to the needs and values of others. They place the needs, values, and opinions of others above their own because preserving the relationship(s) is the ultimate goal.
Compromise/Sacrifice: This method is a sort of concession and, while it seems to be a good route to take, it is not the best approach. People in this category make a sequence of tradeoffs which means they are focusing on what they want as opposed to understanding the other’s viewpoint.
Collaborate: People who practice collaboration care about win-win solutions. This simply means that they scout out common aspirations, values, and needs, so that every party knows their opinions and feelings are important and will be heard. This style needs a lot of self-awareness, cooperation, assertiveness, and communication among the parties.
Ultimately, in resolving conflict, you are understanding your wants, values, and needs as well as your patterns of behavior, which may illuminate a path forward. You will have a better understanding of yourself and others around you, and how situations unfold. This knowledge is a preliminary tool for conflict resolution.
For further Management Techniques see reading on Partial Listening and Total Listening under Physical Portals.
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