Conflict Resoultion
...you start at the top is digging a hole."
- Anonymous
Unresolved conflicts among family, friends, teammates, coworkers, and classmates will have us all digging out of a hole. Disagreements are a part of life; no matter what happens in our daily being, everyone faces some type of conflict. However, very few people enjoy the confrontation that conflicts bring. Unanswered conflicts can spell disaster.
Conflicts arise when people with diverse opinions, who are focused on different goals, come together for a common theme. Disagreements start as something petty, and before the team realizes it, the circumstances become a battle of personal bitterness. As conflict-resolution skills are applied to resolve all types of differences, the team will have the skills necessary to reach a quick solution.
Conflict-Resolution Styles
Conflicts come to pass because of a number of reasons. Many times people's personal fears and egos will interfere with their ability to reach a successful conflict solution. In the late 1970
two professors named Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann studied conflict-resolution. Thomas and Kilmann calculated the results and recognized that the individuals studied had five
main styles of dealing with conflict (Hendel, 2005). The research also revealed most people have a chosen style based on their personality. However, an individuals style would transform as the situation they were in began to change. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument was invented to identify which style best incorporates personality trends when conflict arises. The Thomas-Kilmann styles are as follows:
Avoidance: People who feel their style is avoidance tend to evade the conflict. The avoidance style is distinguished by not making any controversial decisions, steering clear of conflict, and not wanting to hurt anyone's...
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