Conflict Resolution Styles

Conflict resolution is a broad term which encompasses various strategies intended to resolve a conflict by identifying its source, and eliminating it. When two factions with a different approach to a problem come together, the chances of conflicts between them cannot be ruled out. Even though there do exist positive outcomes of conflicts, such outcomes are very rare. Conflicts are known to have more detrimental effects than positive ones, and thus resolving such issues at the earliest has to be your priority. While a few of these resolution strategies stress on a full-fledged offensive, most of them highlight the need of negotiation and diplomacy.

Avoiding a Conflict
This is by far the easiest way of resolving conflict at the work place. In the competitive world of today, there are significant chances of you coming at loggerheads with people around you. Even if you don't interact when working, competitive edge may drive you at the loggerheads. In such a scenario, you can opt for a non-confrontational approach, and avoid the person with whom you are likely to get into further arguments. Though it is the best conflict resolution method at the workplace, it is efficient in other circumstances as well.

Winning Habits
While avoiding the person is a wise option, this might not work when the other person has a contradictory view. In such a scenario, winning is the best way to resolve a workplace conflict. Unlike avoidance, winning is a confrontational, aggressive approach in which your only goal is to get an upper hand over the other person. In order to get into this mode you need to be firm on your decisions and know what you want. The competitive approach involved here can be socially incorrect at times, but this is the best approach for conflicts at workplace, wherein the need of the hour is to prove a point.

Solving the Problem
While the two conflict resolution styles mentioned above seem to be at the extremes, there also exist other measure which are much more convenient and practical - problem solving being one of them. In this method, one person has to take the lead and the other person has to cooperate in order to discuss and solve the problem. In the corporate world, your negotiation skills come into the picture in this technique. Unlike the competitive approach of getting an upper hand, this style requires proper understanding between the two individuals, and respect for each others needs and opinions.

Compromising with the situation: You can resort to this style of resolving conflict when you want to choose the middle path between being assertive and being evasive. This is a diplomatic approach wherein your actual conflict resolution skills will come into the picture. In most of the cases, the end result is partial satisfaction for both the sides as both choose to compromise and take the middle path. Ideally, you should resort to this style when both the sides are equal and the chances of losing something are more prominent than winning it. This style works best when it comes to conflicts in relationships.

Accommodating to the requirements: Getting accommodated to the other persons' requirements is perhaps the most selfless approach. You can go for this style of resolving conflict when you are willing to resolve the conflict at the cost of your own needs. In this method, you need to be cooperative as well as non-assertive to resolve conflicts with others. This approach is seldom seen in the corporate world today, wherein moves are made by diplomatic and competitive approach. As in case of compromising, this mode also works in context of relationships.

At the end of the day, people around you are your first priority, and that is exactly where conflict resolution comes to rescue. Handling conflicts properly doesn't just help you get rid of numerous issues and aftereffects associated with it, but also multiplies the positive outcomes of your personal and professional relationships.