Conflict Resolution Techniques

In project management, the work environment is dynamic and often tense. For this reason, various conflicts are unfortunately a common occurrence. If you are managing projects, it’s crucial to understand how important it is to manage conflicts.

What is Conflict?

Conflict is a clash of opinions between disagreeing parties, which can be individuals or organizations, in resolving various issues.

Conflict management is the process of timely identifying and resolving conflicts that arise during project implementation. Conflict management is one of the key tasks of project managers.

Types of Conflicts: Constructive and Non-Constructive

• Constructive Conflicts: These conflicts lead to well-founded decisions and contribute to the development of relationships between conflict parties.
• Non-constructive Conflicts: These conflicts hinder making informed decisions and effective interaction between conflict parties.

Thomas-Kilmann Model

The Thomas-Kilmann model defines five different conflict resolution techniques. The model is based on two parameters: assertiveness level and cooperation level.

Competition

Involves making opponents accept one’s point of view by ignoring their opinion. This behavior can be effective in conflict resolution but might suppress team members’ initiatives.

Avoidance

Involves avoiding conflicts in any situation. The side effect of this approach is low initiative among team members, possibly resulting in the absence of an optimal solution to tasks.

Compromise

Is an approach where conflicting parties partially accept each other’s decisions. This allows quickly reducing conflict intensity but may lead to suboptimal decisions.

Collaboration

Helps resolve conflict situations most effectively. Opponents must be open to dialogue and strive to understand each other’s reasons for disagreement. This approach aids in developing the best solution to the problem.

Accommodation

Is an approach where one party unconditionally accepts the opponent’s opinion, disregarding its own. In this situation, conflicts may accumulate and eventually escalate into a more serious confrontation.

Conclusion

The most productive way to end a conflict is through collaboration, where both opponents gain something. Unlike compromise, where each party is forced to make concessions, collaboration’s main task is to find a solution that fully satisfies everyone.

And most importantly, remember that conflict is a kind of progress engine.

“As a whole, humanity will never be able to completely get rid of conflicts,” says historian-political scientist Elina Zurapova. “It is, if you will, a kind of driving force, an ‘impetus.’ It is that cargo on the scales that maintains the general balance of social and political processes. It is impossible to get rid of it artificially. Such is human nature.”