OB Survey Results - Negotiations THOMAS-KILMANN CONFLICT- MODE INSTRUMENT RAVICHANDRAN,VeluCompeting(113) 7middle(30th70thpercentile)Collaborating(113) 3low(020thpercentile)Compromising(113) 5middle(30th70thpercentile)Avoiding(113) 8high(80th100thpercentile)Accommodating(113) 7high(80th100thpercentile)InterpretingYourScoresAllfivemodesofhandlingconflictareusefulinvarioussituations,andeachrepresentsasetofusefulsocialskills.Herearesayingsthatcaptureeachmode'sessence:

Collaboration:"Twoheadsarebetterthanone."Accommodation:"Killyourenemieswithkindness."Compromising:"Splitthedifference."Avoiding:"Leavewellenoughalone."Competing:"Mightmakesright."

Theeffectivenessofanyhandlinganyconflictdependsontherequirementsoftheconflictandtheskillthatisemployed.Eachofusiscapableofusingallfiveconflictmodes,andnoneofuscanbecharacterizedashavingasinglerigidstyleofdealingwithconflict.However,becauseofpersonalitytraitsorbyhabit,individualstendtouseoneortwomodesatagreaterfrequencythantheothers.Conflictresolutiontoolsthatapersonemployscanbeselectedbasedonthepersonalpreferenceandtherequirementsofthesituation.Thefollowinginformationmayhelpyoujudgehowappropriatelyyouusethefivemethodsofconflictresolution:1.Competingisbestused:

a) whenquickdecisiveactionisvital;e.g.,emergenciesb) withimportantissueswhereunpopularcoursesofactionneedimplementing,suchascost

cutting,orenforcingunpopularrulesanddisciplinec) withissuesvitaltocompanywelfarewhenyouknowyouarerightd) toprotectyourselfagainstpeoplewhotakeadvantageofyou

2.Collaboratingisbestused:

a) tofindanintegrativesolutionwhenbothsetsofconcernsaretooimportanttobecompromised

OB Survey Results - Negotiations

b) whenyourobjectiveistolearn;e.g.,testingyourownassumptions,understandingtheviewsofothers

c) tomergeinsightsfrompeoplewithdifferentperspectivesonaproblemd) togaincommitmentbyincorporatingother'sconcernsintoaconsensualdecisione) toworkthroughhardfeelingswhichhavebeeninterferingwithaninterpersonal

relationship

3.Compromisingisbestused:a) whengoalsaremoderatelyimportant,butnotworththeeffortorpotentialdisruptionof

moreassertivemodesb) whentwoopponentswithequalpowerarestronglycommittedtomutuallyexclusivegoals,

i.e.,asinlabormanagementbargainingc) toachievetemporarysettlementstocomplexissuesd) toarriveatexpedientsolutionsundertimepressuree) asabackupmodewhencollaborationorcompetitionfailstobesuccessful

4.Avoidingisbestused:

a) whenanissueistrivial,ofonlypassingimportance,orwhenothermoreimportantissuesarepressing

b) whenyouperceivenochanceofsatisfyingyourconcerns;e.g.,whenyouhavelowpoweroryouarefrustratedbysomethingthatwouldbeverydifficulttochange(nationalpolicies,someone'spersonality)

c) whenthepotentialdamageofconfrontingaconflictoutweighsthebenefitsofitsresolutiond) toletpeoplecooldown;i.e.,toreducetensionstoaproductivelevelandregainperspective

andcomposuree) whengatheringmoreinformationoutweighstheadvantagesofanimmediatedecisionf) whenotherscanresolvetheconflictmoreeffectivelyg) whentheissueseemstangentialorsymptomaticofanothermorebasicissue

5.Accommodatingisbestused:

a) whenotherscanresolvetheconflictmoreeffectivelyb) whentheissueismuchmoreimportanttotheotherpersonthantoyourselftosatisfythe

needsofothersandtoshowyouarereasonablec) tobuildupsocialcreditsforlaterissueswhichareimportanttoyoud) whencontinuedcompetitionwouldonlydamageyourcause,i.e.,whenyouareoutmatched

andlosinge) whenpreservingharmonyandavoidingdisruptionareespeciallyimportantf) toaidinthemanagerialdevelopmentofsubordinatesbyallowingthemtoexperimentand

learnfromtheirownmistakes