Strategies for Dealing With Conflict

Conflict is a part of every day life. Dictionary.com defines conflict as "a fight, battle, or struggle; controversy, quarrel; or a mental struggle arising from opposing demands or impulses." People experience conflict with others or within themselves for various reasons, such as differing opinions or personality. Strategies exist to avoid, eliminate or deal effectively with conflict.

Avoiding

• Avoiding a confrontation can be beneficial in certain situations.

  Avoiding the conflict can work in certain situations. Small conflicts not having a major impact on your daily life may not be worth arguing over. Avoiding the conflict can be positive if you or the other person reacts with extreme emotion to the situation. Emotional people who try to work out a conflict find no solution due to the intense feelings of both parties. Avoid a conflict if it poses harm to you or the other person involved, or if one person tends to become violent when confronted.

Accommodating

• Sometimes you may need to accommodate another person to avoid an escalating argument.

  Using empathy and accommodating another person's needs presents an alternative method to dealing with conflict. Cooperating and understanding the other person can make conflict resolution a smooth process. You may accommodate a difficult person as a way to end conflict, particularly if the discussion is not progressing or you become frustrated or concerned with the direction of the conversation. Other times, you may recognize your own error and accommodate to make amends with another person.

Competing

• Bosses may find competing an effective way to deal with workplace conflict.

  Competing is an assertive, yet forceful, way to deal with conflict. Use force to resolve a conflict in an emergency, "life and death" type situation, or when dealing with an ostracized subject. Company heads, bosses or CEOs may find competing to be an effective way to resolve conflicts between employees or during board meetings.

Compromising

• Deciding what is important to both parties is the main focus of compromising.

  Compromising involves putting all your ideas on the table, listening to the other person caught up in the issue and deciding how to make the solution work for both parties. Work with the person involved in a conflict, and devise a solution that encompasses ideas from each side, although it might be necessary for each person to sacrifice his point of view to reach an end result. Talking through the conflict offers an optimal way to compromise, with or without a mediator.

Collaborating

• Collaborating involves working together to find a mutually satisfying solution.

  Collaboration involves finding the best solution to a conflict that meets everyone's needs and expectations. Collaboration takes longer to reach a solution but, in the end, all parties benefit from the outcome. Conferences, open discussions and mediation provide ideal tools when collaborating to solve a conflict.