In addition to confronting and withdrawing, what are the other main conflict resolution approaches? Select the three that apply:
Explanation
Answer: A, C and D
The five conflict resolution techniques are confronting (also known as problem solving), withdrawing, forcing, compromising and smoothing.
Confronting/problem solving means to deal with the root cause of the conflict directly.
Withdrawing is the exact opposite and means avoiding the issue for the time being and is generally considered to be the weakest of the approaches. However, that doesn’t mean that it might not be the wisest one sometimes.
Forcing means using your power as a project manager to move the parties involved in one specific direction. This is a difficult thing to do, but frequently necessary in stalemate situations where you perceive one path to be better than the other.
Compromise is another effective solution. This means helping to find a middle ground between the parties in conflict. However, be aware that often you will end up in a situation where neither party is especially happy about the solution.
Smoothing means to emphasize points of agreement rather than the conflict.
Berating is a very bad choice, and you’re lucky if you get away with it with your children, nevermind a co-worker. Mediation is generally regarded as a last resort after all other conflict resolution approaches have failed.
Key Takeaway: Conflict management is one of the hardest and most important jobs of a project manager. The decision you make not only affect whether or not the conflict is resolved, but also the relationships between team members moving forward and the overall productivity of the project. Our best recommendation is to spend substantial effort improving your skills in the problem solving area of conflict resolution.
