Conflict Resolution

Conflict Strategies Inventory

Conflict Strategies Inventory gives participants valuable new insights into the strategies they use in conflict situations. Presented with 10 short cases of typical, work-related conflict, respondents choose the actions they are most likely to take.

Some people thrive on conflict; others shrink away from it. But no matter how we react, it’s important that we understand our conflict-related behavior — and learn to manage it more successfully.

The Conflict Strategies Inventory Second Edition gives participants valuable new insights into the strategies they use in conflict situations. Presented with 10 short cases of typical, work-related conflict, respondents choose the actions they are most likely to take — actions that are indicative of 5 basic conflict strategies: Avoiding, Smoothing, Competing, Compromising, Integrating, and Learning Outcomes.

Identify one’s own preferred strategies for dealing with conflict.
Understand strengths and weaknesses in dealing with conflict.
Learn how to deal with conflict effectively.

Theory:

The Conflict Strategies Inventory Second Edition combines the works of Robert Blake and Jane Mouton, M. Afzalur Rahim, and many other respected researchers in the area of conflict management. It is based on 5 conflict strategies that are adapted from the conflict styles originally named by Mouton and Blake.

5 Conflict Strategies:

Avoiding: Staying away from or withdrawing from a conflict.
Smoothing: Giving in to the other party and ignoring one’s own goals.
Competing: Forcing an issue to one’s own way.
Compromising: Giving in on one need in order to get another satisfied.
Integrating: Focusing on one mutually satisfying outcome.
These strategies can be described in terms of two stages of a conflict encounter: Stage 1: Non-Compatible Goals and Stage 2: Outcomes.

How It Works:

Individuals respond to 10 conflict-oriented work situations presented in the inventory. For each situation, individuals choose 3 out of 5 strategies and rank them in order of most likely reaction to third most likely reaction, using a pressure-sensitive form. The Participant Guide provides further insight with interpretive data and questions for discussion. Ultimately, the CSI results allow individuals to view their preferred strategies and help them to consider modifying conflict strategies where appropriate.

Uses for Conflict Strategies Inventory:

This instrument is designed for people who have had or currently have problems dealing with conflict in the workplace. The CSI is particularly useful in management development and team-building activities prior to the introduction of specific conflict management skills.

Other uses for the CSI:

Develop new approaches or solutions. Bring long-standing problems out into the open. Clarify thoughts and feelings. Stimulate interest and creativity. Stretch personal capabilities.

Use this HRDQ tool for your team conflict:

Team Conflict Strategies Inventory

Don't let unresolved issues drain the productivity from your teams! Team Conflict Strategies Inventory (TCSI) provides an ideal opportunity for teams to work through issues and learn how to handle future conflicts more productively.

Teams have preferred ways of handling conflict. Some teams avoid conflict at all costs, while others find that the battle gives them energy and motivation. Start your teams on a discussion of how they choose to handle conflict - and what impact their behavior is having on the success of their team - with the Team Conflict Strategies Inventory (TCSI).

The TCSI presents teams with 5 typical conflict scenarios. Administered in two phases, team members are first asked to predict individually how their team would handle each situation by ranking strategy alternatives. Then, the team as a whole comes together to try to reach consensus on the items. This approach allows individual team members to share their perceptions and come to conclusions about common strategies employed by the team.

Teams will:
Identify their preferred strategy for handling conflict. Gain an understanding of 5 different conflict strategies. Learn the appropriate use of each strategy. Develop procedures for managing disagreements. The Participant Booklet includes pressure-sensitive scoring, descriptions of the five team conflict strategies, interpretation, and action planning. In addition to administrative guidelines and theoretical background, the detailed Facilitator Guide features a sample training design, a training activity with reproducible participant handouts, and overhead transparencies.
Find the TCSI tool at HRDQ:

Team conflict is one outcome of team organization that is practically inevitable. When we consult with team-based organizations, one of the most frequent requests we receive is for help in dealing with team conflict. People see conflict as a barrier to productivity. We take the point of view, however, that team conflict is a potential promoter of productivity. The effects of team conflict are dependent on the way team members handle it. If team members can get a firm grasp of what behaviors turn conflict into a plus, they will be well on their way to using their diversity to their advantage.
TeamConflict is designed to give team members insights into how their behaviors determine the outcome of conflict and how they can change those behaviors to be more productive.
Development
Over the past few years, we have developed a series of tools designed to allow teams to fully discuss small slices of their life together. These tools have included topics such as communication, team roles, and accountability. Conflict within teams is another slice -- and it is a big one. We felt the need to produce a tool for discussing team conflict because it is an issue that continually surfaces in discussions with team members.
Our starting point was to question how team conflict differed from other types of conflict. We conducted a literature search on team conflict and found substantial differences. We then developed an instrument that reflected the most important aspects of handling team conflict. We ran several groups through several versions of the tool as it was refined. In addition, we asked customers who had teams in conflict to review TeamConflict for us. Their comments, in conjunction with the experiences of our groups, allowed us to produce the final version of TeamConflict.
Administering TeamConflict:

Included in the instrument booklet is all the information needed for scoring, interpreting results, and preparing plans for change. It is possible, therefore, for a group of respondents to use these learning instruments without a professional facilitator. We do, however, strongly believe that a trained facilitator greatly enhances the learning experience for participants. Moreover, when exchange of feedback on a sensitive issue is part of the exercise, as it is in TeamConflict, a trained facilitator ensures that the process will be productive. Find Team-conflict at HRDQ:

Reproducible Program Materials

Reproducible Program Materials

You want soft-skills training that gets results, training that addresses your specific needs, learning you can tailor to your audience, and you need it all at an affordable price. HRDQ Digital Download products are designed to meet and exceed those needs. Our digital products are easy to purchase and deliver. We cover a full range of topics and most are fully customizable. Go to HRDQ:

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