Conflict management strategies

Conflict management strategies

Conflict is inevitable in a project environment. Sources of conflict include scarce resources,
scheduling priorities, and personal work styles. Team ground rules, group norms, and solid project
management practices, like communication planning and role definition, reduce the amount of
conflict.
Successful conflict management results in greater productivity and positive working relationships.
When managed properly,

There are five general techniques for resolving conflict. As each one has its place and use, these
are not given in any particular order:


Withdraw/Avoid. Retreating from an actual or potential conflict situation; postponing the issue to
be better prepared or to be resolved by others.

Smooth/Accommodate. Emphasizing areas of agreement rather than areas of difference; conceding one’s  position to the needs of others to maintain harmony and relationships.

Compromise/Reconcile. Searching for solutions that bring some degree of satisfaction to all parties
in order to temporarily or partially resolve the conflict.

Force/Direct. Pushing one’s viewpoint at the expense of others; offering only win-lose solutions,
usually enforced through a power position to resolve an emergency.

Collaborate/Problem Solve. Incorporating multiple viewpoints and insights from differing
perspectives; requires a cooperative attitude and open dialogue that typically leads to consensus
and commitment.

Regards
Kshitij Yelkar
www.yelkar.com