How to resolve conflict in the workplace (we want to share a secret…)

There is no doubt that there is a clear competitive  advantage to be gained from having teams made up of different styles and strengths. 

But, with this can often come conflict.  

As we all know, conflict per se isn’t a bad thing, in fact healthy conflict is a key component of high performing teams.  BUT if conflict isn’t approached and resolved in a constructive way there can be a whole host of negative implications: poor communication and a reduction in productivity. 

If this is not dealt with (often because managers don’t know how) it creates an environment of stress and tension, poor decision making, potentially leading to high absenteeism and turnover – to name just a few reasons why organisations need to intervene if they recognise this as a problem. 

WE HAVE FOUND A GREAT TOOL!

So we want to share our secret for dealing with this fairly common problem. We have been dealing with these situations for our clients and been looking for a new tool to help us articulate conflict styles so we can help move things forward. 

The tool we favour is the ‘Thomas Kilmann Conflict Inventory’ (TKI). Using it as part of a targeted intervention has demonstrated that it’s possible to foster stronger relationships, enhance communication and improve team dynamics often after a period of tension, negativity and stress. 

TKI is specifically designed to help individuals navigate and resolve conflicts constructively. The model has five different conflict-handling styles: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating.

The competing style
Assertive with a desire to win – they generally focus on their own needs and goals, often at the expense of others. 

The collaborating style 
Emphasising both assertiveness and cooperation – they look to find ways of working together to find a mutually beneficial solution that satisfies the needs of everyone involved.

The compromising style
Valuing flexibility with a willingness to make concessions – they usually seek to find a middle ground where everyone compromises on something to reach a resolution. 

The avoiding style
Reluctant to engage in conflict altogether - they tend to choose to ignore or postpone the conflict, hoping it will resolve itself over time.

The accommodating style
Prioritising maintaining harmony and preserving relationships - they are often willing to sacrifice their own needs and desires to accommodate the preferences of others.

By using TKI we can work with your teams to raise an individual’s understanding of their preferred conflict-handling style, along with the positive and negative impact this can have depending on the situation as well as the preferred style of others they’re working with. 

The model also promotes flexibility in style, meaning we also spend time with individuals allowing them to learn how to adapt and choose the most appropriate strategy for the situation and outcome they are looking to achieve. 

TKI can help both individuals and teams, in a variety of ways:

•  Capability and Performance Cases
  Helping someone whose style and/or behaviour at work is impacting their performance.

• Team building
  Helping teams to engage in healthy conflict, aiding team cohesion and ability to make decisions.

• Leaders and Manager development 
  Providin strategies and understanding about how to get the best out of their team

• Organisational culture
  Helping to create a positive and resilient culture through transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement – seeing conflict as opportunities for growth and learning. 

Want to find out more?

Amelore can deliver 1-2-1 sessions or wider team development sessions dependant on your needs. If you would like to complete the profile yourself and have some feedback to understand it better, we’d be happy to organise this for you.