What are conflict management styles?

Conflict management is the process of addressing a problem or disagreement between two or more parties. If employees cannot resolve the dispute themselves, it may develop into a larger interpersonal conflict. To maintain productivity and employee satisfaction, it’s a good idea to develop some conflict management skills. When friction arises, you can utilize these skills to reduce tension and help each party find common ground. 

Generally, the goal of conflict management is to reach a solution that all parties can agree to and that allows all team members to move forward as a unit. Conflict management skills can be broken down into several unique styles to help you address the problem most efficiently. Choose the right strategy, and you’re more likely to come to a solution that satisfies each employee. 

Why conflict resolution matters 

Conflict management is an important leadership skill. Employees may often come to you for assistance in resolving an issue, and having the tools to help them can result in quick solutions and stronger employer-employee relationships. Effective conflict handling styles can have several valuable effects on your team and your company:

• Better leadership. Conflict resolution skills are key components of authentic leadership. As a more authentic leader, you can help facilitate a positive company culture your team members are glad to be a part of. 
• Greater focus on goals. When less time and energy are spent on conflict, you and your team can direct these valuable resources toward company goals.
• Positive relationships. Employees can focus on building stronger relationships with their peers, making collaborative efforts more innovative in the absence of conflict. 
• Stronger trust. Keeping conflict low and addressing it as soon as it arises can help you build trust with your team. 
• Higher morale. Showing employees that you can resolve conflict quickly and efficiently may lead to a boost in morale, which can lead to an increase in the quality of their work. 
• Increased productivity. Reduced conflict can minimize some of the productivity barriers employees may face, allowing them to focus on their work and freeing their minds up for creative ideas. 
• Reduced turnover. Too much conflict for too long can prompt employees to look for work elsewhere, while good conflict resolution can keep your team satisfied and engaged with their work. 

The five styles of conflict resolution 

Different conflicts require different resolution strategies. Understanding its style and when it is most effective can help you choose the best one to approach a situation with. The five conflict management styles outlined below are approaches to common workplace disagreements. 

1. Accommodation

The accommodation style of conflict management puts the needs of one party before the other. This can be a useful strategy in situations of mild disagreement when the relationship between employees is more important than the outcome of the conflict. 

If a disagreement doesn’t seem to have a clear “winner,” advising one party to accommodate the other can offer the clearest path toward a solution. For example, if a single team member disagrees on where to hold the office’s annual holiday party, they might be better off accommodating their peer’s wishes. 

Keep in mind that some employees may not feel comfortable speaking out against another, even when it might be in their best interest to do so. Before suggesting an accommodation, assess the situation properly to ensure it doesn’t require more serious action. 

2. Avoidance

This conflict handling style ignores the conflict completely. It’s a more passive approach that attempts to minimize tension by ignoring it or removing the involved parties from the situation. This can mean taking team members off certain projects, relocating them to another part of the office or even pushing back a deadline.

Distance can be an effective tool, particularly when it offers employees a chance to create space to develop a new approach or simply removes the conflict from view. While avoidance is a useful technique in many scenarios, refrain from using it to address conflicts that are better suited for decisive action. 

3. Compromise

A compromise aims for a solution in which all parties are partly satisfied. It asks employees to find a middle ground, usually meaning no one involved in the conflict gets everything they desire in the outcome while ensuring everyone gets something that makes them happy. While each party will have to concede some of their wishes, the trade-off is an actionable solution the team can use to move forward. 

Compromising can be a smart strategy when a project or deadline rests on resolving conflict. For example, if two employees differ in their approach to a major presentation, it might be best if they implement a mix of each other’s suggestions to complete the project on time. Giving employees the chance to share their perspectives can help them feel heard as they search for a middle ground and may pave the way for collaboration down the road. 

4. Collaboration

A collaborative approach to conflict management strives to find a solution that meets all the needs of everyone involved. This is a win-win strategy that typically requires extensive communication with all the parties involved to ensure the final solution is satisfying all around. While it can be time-consuming, collaborating to resolve a conflict can result in an effective, long-term solution. 

If it’s particularly important to preserve interpersonal relationships or the chosen solution will significantly impact the daily working environment of the parties involved, collaboration may be the right strategy. For example, if you’re planning to merge two departments into one, taking the time to discuss the move with each team member and working together to find the right approach can prevent complications in the future. 

5. Competition

A competitive strategy prioritizes one party’s needs over the other’s. Typically, this is not a resolution style you’ll rely on heavily, but it may be useful in some cases.

For serious conflicts where a single course of action is available, competition can offer a clear course to a stronger team. For example, in cases of misconduct or other justifiable reasons for termination, taking decisive action can help your company move past a situation as quickly as possible. 

FAQs about conflict management

How do I help employees resolve their own conflicts? 

Conflict resolution is a critical management skill, and mastering it can make you a better leader. With that said, there are ways you can help your team develop conflict management skills of their own, making them more capable of overcoming disagreements before they affect performance. When it comes to employee conflict handling styles, examples include: 

• Providing conflict resolution training 
• Developing a company conflict resolution plan (or reevaluating an existing one) 
• Advocating for better communication skills 
• Encouraging employees to practice resolving conflict before seeking outside help 
• Offering feedback on an employee‘s conflict resolution skills 
• Discussing conflict management styles during one-on-one check-ins 

How do I determine the best conflict management style? 

The conflict management style you implement will vary based on the issue. There is no one conflict management style that is always better than the others. However, there is usually one that is better suited for the situation than the others. Before you select which strategy to use, consider asking yourself these questions:

• How will this conflict affect other members of the team? 
• What are the consequences of taking or not taking action? 
• Do I have the resources to address this conflict? 
• Is one party creating a toxic work culture for the other?
• Is the conflict at hand standing in the way of an important project or deadline?

The answers to these questions can help you assess which type of conflict management to use. Depending on your responses, you might identify one or more strategies applicable to the situation at hand. For example, if the consequences of not taking action are few, avoidance might be a valid solution. If the success of an important project rests on the resolution of a conflict, a compromise might offer the quickest path to common ground. Taking a step back to assess the situation before moving to address a conflict can ensure you select the most effective resolution strategy. 

How can I prevent conflicts from occurring? 

While it may not be possible to eliminate conflict from the workplace altogether, there are a few things you can do to prevent it from occurring in the first place:

• Improving communication. Lack of communication is a common cause of workplace disputes. Addressing poor communication habits can minimize these conflicts and might give your team the tools to resolve misunderstandings on their own. 
• Scheduling bonding time. Bonding activities can help your employees strengthen their interpersonal relationships, which may reduce conflict. 
• Checking in with your team. Regularly connecting with employees one-on-one can give them a chance to talk through issues and ask for guidance before a concern becomes a full-blown conflict. 

Encouraging collaboration. Frequent collaboration offers employees the chance to strengthen their working relationships, reducing conflict and providing a chance to practice their own resolution skills.