Conflict styles
Conflict can be defined as the disagreement that occurs between two parties and their reaction to the friction. In general, there are five types of conflict exposed to people with different reactions regarding personalities or even experiences. They include competing, accomodating, avoiding, collaborating, and compromising styles. The competing conflict style occurs when an individual involved in a disagreement dictates other people. In this style, one party tends to take authority over others. There should be an establishment of an authority among the involved parties to solve the conflict. The advantage of it is that it cultivates confidence for the winning party in a competitive environment. However, the disadvantage is that the losing party may develop a grudge and result in other conflicts.
Accommodating conflict style occurs when an individual acts in a non-assertive way. A person is expected to do what another person wants when a conflict arises. The advantage with this style is that the conflict can be solved quickly, and the accommodating party feels to have contributed goodwill toward short term goals. The disadvantage is that accommodating can have low self-esteem, and the winning can take advantage. Avoiding conflict style is another style that does not perpetuate other issues, nor does it solve issues. People walk away from the problems instead of handling them, which means that it remains and may resurface later. The advantage is that it is crucial when a conflict has no solution to a goal or if the problem is not too severe. The disadvantage is that when the conflict is not addressed, it may hinder meeting long-term goals.
Collaborating conflict style is aimed at considering the needs and feelings of each side in a conflict. Each party states their needs and wants are to solve the problem, and then the solutions are considered. The advantage is that it is a win-win way of resolving issues where each party feels no loss and is effective with long-term solutions. The disadvantage is that it can take time to bring the parties to the same feeling of not losing. The parties must be interested in advancing to the same goal of collaborating to work.
Lastly, compromising conflict style involves parties who offer something to give up instead of asking for particular needs and wants. It occurs when the involved parties look for solutions partially. The advantage is that the result can be seen as fair for the parties involved since each gets something in return. It can be used t solve short term problems and set a foundation in solving long-term problems. The disadvantage is that no party is fully satisfied, and since the issues are partially resolved, there is the likelihood of another conflict arising.
In conclusion, conflicts occur in people’s lives, and there are always merits and demerits associated with each type of style of conflict. However, it is worthy to note that when a conflict is not solved, it bears consequences that may affect relationships between the involved parties. The most important thing is to resolve conflict and escape the associated consequences.