Avoiding and Resolving Conflicts
Inevitably when people work together, they have different ideas of how things should be done. It is important that people have effective ways of dealing with different perspectives and personalities when involved in a potentially conflicting situation.
How do you respond to conflict?
Instructions: In order to evaluate how you respond to conflict, list people with whom you occasionally have conflict above the right hand columns on the form below. Then use the place a check mark by the description of the way you deal with each individual. If there are strategies that you use and you would like to change, look through the preceding lessons in this unit and decide what you might do instead. This is for your self-evaluation and is not an item for submission. Think about how you relate to people you don’t have conflict with? What is the difference?
Place the names of four people you have conflict with to the right. Tick off the ways you deal with the conflicts below. / 1. / 2. / 3. / 4.1. / Avoid the person.
2. / Change the subject.
3. / Admit that you are wrong, even if you are not.
4. / Give in.
5. / Pretend you agree.
6. / Whine or complain until you get your way.
7. / Play the martyr. Give in, but let the other person know how much you are suffering.
8. / Try to reach a compromise.
9. / Try to understand the other person's point of view.
10. / Try to find a new solution both of you will find acceptable.
11. / Be persistent. Wear down the opposition.
12. / Use your authority. Order the other person to obey you.
13. / Use sarcasm or ridicule.
14. / Defend your position.
15. / Use your power to win your position.
16. / Acknowledge the conflict and work for consensus.
17. / Other: