Most people agree that approaching conflict is a struggle. You have to balance advocating for your opinion while also compromising with the group or person you disagree with. And neither party wants to settle for a compromise that works for no one.
The five primary styles for conflict resolution
Luckily, there are different ways to approach conflict that works well for your style and your circumstances. First, you have to know your conflict resolution style:
- Avoiding disputes – Avoiding or withdrawing from conflict is a common form of conflict resolution among most folks. They will usually drop their stance in order to pretend that the conflict didn’t exist.
- Giving in to the other party – In this approach, the person simply accommodates or gives in to the other party. Most people would classify it as letting one party “have their way.”
- Standing your ground – The most confrontational form of resolution is just standing your ground. You won’t relent in any other options until the other party agrees to your terms. This is the hardest option to accomplish.
- Compromise – One of the most common forms for resolution is developing a separate resolution for your dispute through negotiation and compromise. Usually, neither party gets 100% of what they want.
- Collaboration – Similar to compromising, the parties work together to develop a separate solution through negotiation or mediation. It involves understanding each others’ goals and respecting each perspective.
Depending on your style, you will need to find a resolution method that works. If you are willing to try a compromise or collaborative resolution, you could try mediation or arbitration for legal disputes. It’s incredibly useful and cheaper for most parties involved.
