Success Advice

Conflict Management Styles to Overcome Any Situation

Published

4 years ago

Apr 9, 2020

Image Credit: Unsplash

If you’d like to learn how to handle inner conflict so you can overcome any situation, sign up for the free 90-Day Master Class hosted by the founder of Addicted2Success.com, Joel Brown.

Running a business can sometimes be difficult, no matter how much past experience you might have of business management. When you’re a part of any small business management team, having strategies in place to deal with any issues that arise is important.

Conflict is something that you’re almost certain to come across regularly, if not daily. This means that having the right conflict management style is key, as this can help to avoid issues from escalating further.

Below are the five conflict management styles and how they can help you find effective ways to deal with situations when they arise:

1. Collaborating Style

This conflict management style involves attempting to find a solution that would be suitable for all parties involved in the conflict – meaning that everyone will be happy with the resolution. This is used instead of simply finding a middle ground, where nobody is entirely satisfied with what has been decided, and this style aims to find a way to create a win-win situation all around. This could be key in a situation where there are several different perspectives to be considered, or when there is an important outcome at stake.

In real-life terms, a collaborating approach aims to resolve conflict so that both parties can benefit, without having to give anything up. This can be a really good way to ensure customer loyalty in the future, and although such solutions can be difficult to decide upon, they can bring great results if you can.

2. Competing Style

When you decide to adopt a competing conflict management style, you see things only through your own eyes and refuse to consider the viewpoints of other parties in the situation. This could mean that you don’t listen to the opposition and simply push through your ideas and opinions until they are accepted. This style could be used when your rights are at risk, or when a quick decision must be made.

This could be useful in the real world if, for example, a customer enters your business and is unreasonable and threatening towards you and your staff. It would be a bad idea to let them have what they want, and it is a much better idea to take a stand and stay strong. Although you might lose their business, it is better in the long term that your staff can feel safe and respected in their working environment, so a competing style could be good here.

“It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, and how you’re led.” – Steve Jobs

3. Compromising Style

This is possibly the style that most people will be familiar with, as it is seen in everyday life, not only in business. A compromising conflict management style might not be able to give everyone what they want, but it is a good way to find a middle ground that everyone is at least partially satisfied with. This is a good thing to do if you need to try and keep everyone happy, or if reaching a solution is more important than the actual solution itself.

An example of this style in action would be if you have a customer who tries to return a used clothing item to your store. You may not be able to offer a full refund, as the item is used, however, you could give them a gift card to use later. That way, your company isn’t as much out of pocket, and the customer will feel as though they have been taken care of – even if it might not be exactly what they had asked for in the first place.

4. Accommodating Style

This style prioritizes the needs of others above your own. If you are running a business, you will know that sometimes it is for the best that you can simply keep the peace, even if it means that you must give in on an issue that you had been arguing another point of view for.

This could be a good conflict management style to use if you are trying to appease a customer who has been unhappy with your work or products. Sometimes, you may find that giving in on this occasion could be better for the greater good if it means that the customer in question will continue to work with you in the long term. If the long-term benefits are greater than the short-term losses, an accommodating style could be the ideal choice.

“Corporate culture matters. How management chooses to treat its people impacts everything – for better or for worse.” – Simon Sinek

5. Avoiding Style

The final style to be discussed is avoiding, which is where certain aspects of the conflict are ignored, in the hope that the issue can be resolved in a different way, rather than by confrontation. Although this will not work in all circumstances, it can work in some.

For example, if you have an unhappy customer on the phone, who is saying that your product is broken, you may know for sure that this isn’t the case. However, to avoid further conflict, it’s not always best to simply state that they are wrong. Instead, by ignoring the issue for now, and offering them a series of tests to carry out, they may be able to conclude themselves without any need for major conflict at all. This could be a good way to keep the peace and avoid tensions from running high.

Ultimately, the conflict management style that you choose will depend very much on the kind of business that you are running, and the situation that you are in at the time.

Once you’re aware of the styles listed above, you will then have the chance to be able to select the best one for your requirements, meaning that you have the highest possible chance of resolving any issues that have taken place. Learning how to carry out these styles effectively will help to make you a much better leader, so there is no doubt that it is more than worth taking the time to consider how you manage conflict, and how this could be improved in the future.

Which conflict management style resonates most with you and why? Share your thoughts with us below!

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Justin Grau

Justin Grau joined the US Navy at 17 and served for 8 years. During that time he learned about discipline and commitment, which has translated well to his entrepreneurial journey online. Today he runs multiple websites, including https:/bizdig.co. BizDig was started to provide resources for other entrepreneurs and small business owners out there, from information on management, finance, tech, and reviewing the different software products that can be used to help grow their business.

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There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

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In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness.

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be.

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time.

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.