Scenario 1
Josh and Allison disagree on the best plan for implementing a new advertising campaign. They have tried to find a compromise, but their disagreement is becoming angrier and more distracting each minute.
Their supervisor tells them to set the campaign aside and work on other projects for the rest of the day. Taking a break from the project gives both Josh and Allison time to work through the conflict on their own. They continued working on the campaign the next morning with more positive and collaborative attitudes.
– Avoidance
Scenario 2
Cody has worked at the Edgefield Electric company for sixteen years. He’s good at his job and rarely needs input from his supervisors. Casey is a recent hire and has needed extensive training.
While Cody is showing a process to Casey, Casey suggests an alternate method. Instead of considering Casey’s idea or taking the time to explain the logic behind the current method, Cody ends the conversation abruptly and tells Casey to just follow his instructions. Cody has done nothing technically wrong, but Casey now feels belittled and ignored.
– Competition
Scenario 3
Jill loves working at her local fitness center. She enjoys her job and gets along with all her coworkers except for one. Maddie has a strong personality and does not like to be told “no.” Maddie tries to take advantage of Jill’s accommodating personality by pressuring her into trading shifts. Jill does not appreciate Maddie’s actions, but she also does not want to introduce additional tension into her workplace. She agrees to trade with Maddie to keep the peace,
– Accommodating
Scenario 4
The profits from Everett and Brian’s pet shop business have grown significantly in the last six months. They disagree on how to make the best use of their newly increased savings. Everett wants to expand the pet shop’s inventory by 20 percent, while Brian wants to increase the budget for local advertising by 15 percent.
After arguing for several days, Brian suggests that they increase both budgets by just 10 percent. Neither party is particularly satisfied with this option, but they compromise to quickly move past the conflict.
– Accomodation / compromise
Scenario 5
Maggie owns a ballet studio that is managed by her best friend Pat. Maggie and Pat usually agree on almost all business-related decisions. However, Pat disagrees with Maggie regarding which job applicant they should hire as the new dance teacher.
As the owner, Maggie has the authority to overrule Pat’s opinion. However, she chooses to sit down with Pat and discuss a solution that will please them both. After several weeks of negotiation and open communication, they hire two of the applicants for a trial period.
Avoiding negative styles of conflict
– firecrackers
– cold shoulder
– backstabbing
– memory lane
– social zinger
Managing emotions during conflict
Delay approach (“Let’s talk about it later when we have more time to think it through”)
Manage Expectations (“I know you won’t like this but I think we need to talk about it anyway,”)
Appreciation and correction approach (“You are very good at ____however, ____”)
Empathetic responses (“‘ understand you are not happy with what I did, and I will be careful next time”)
Use mirroring technique
Take deep breaths
Choice of words (Don’t use “You statements/ Use “I” statements)
Sincere Apology (If appropriate)
Data Centric 