Conflict Styles Assessment
This assessment is based on the Thomas-Kilmann conflict management model, which describes conflict as a situation in which the “concerns of two people appear to be incompatible”.
Two Dimensions
The assessment describes our behaviour along two dimensions of:
- Assertiveness
- Cooperativeness
Note: the definition of assertiveness in this model defines assertiveness only as the extent to which a person attempts to satisfy his/her own concerns, and cooperativeness in this model is defined as the extent to which a person tries to satisfy the other person’s concerns.
The Assessment
This assessment has been adapted from: Reginald (Rg) Adkins, PhD, Elemental Truths
Each statement below provides a strategy for dealing with conflict.
Select the frequency you use each strategy by clicking on the blue column.
What Does it Mean?
Your highest score indicates your most preferred strategy. The one with the lowest score, your least preferred strategy.
If you are a leader who must deal with conflict on a regular basis, you may not have an obvious preferred strategy as different styles could be useful in different situations.
For more information about each conflict style read on…
This is win at all costs, you use your power, rank, ability to argue to win your own position. This is a win/lose outcome, but it could be useful if it is an emergency. For example: someone is drowning in the public pool and you grab someone’s unused life jacket and take it to the drowning person.
When accommodating you ignore your own needs and concerns and try to satisfy the other person’s needs and concerns. This is a lose/win situation. This style is valid, if the issue is trivial, or the other person is an expert in the field.
When you are avoiding, you are ignoring your own needs and the needs of the other person. This is a lose/lose outcome, but it could be useful if the time is not right to address an issue.
When you are trying to find the best solution to that satisfies your needs and the needs of the other person. This is a win/win outcome. It might take a little longer than other models, as you need to listen and understand the other person’s concerns and aim to satisfy them without compromising your needs.
This is when both you and the other person don’t satisfy all your needs. This is a lose/lose outcome. It might be appropriate for situations where you need a temporary solution.
Where to From Here?
The way we deal with conflict has a lot to do with our beliefs about personal boundaries and how assertive we are in other aspects of our lives. If you are interested to explore this subject more. Register for our blended learning course: Assertive Communication
Do you have a vision for your staff development and need help to make it reality? We will work closely with you to understand your needs, and design and plan a solution.