Katherine tells one of the staff, “I don’t have time to discuss the matter with you now. See me in my office later” when the latter asks if they can talk about an issue. Which of the following conflict resolution strategies did she use?
A. Smoothing
B. Compromise
C. Avoidance
D. Restriction
Correct Answer: C. Avoidance
This strategy shuns discussing the issue head-on and prefers to postpone it to a later time. In effect, the problem remains unsolved and both parties are in a lose-lose situation. Someone who uses a strategy of “avoiding” mostly tries to ignore or sidestep the conflict, hoping it will resolve itself or dissipate.
Option A: Smoothing is not a conflict resolution strategy. One example is accommodating. Accommodating is a strategy where one party gives in to the wishes or demands of another. They’re being cooperative but not assertive. This may appear to be a gracious way to give in when one figures out s/he has been wrong about an argument.
Option B: The strategy of “compromising” involves finding an acceptable resolution that will partly, but not entirely, satisfy the concerns of all parties involved. The concept is that everyone gives up a little bit of what they want, and no one gets everything they want. The perception of the best outcome when working by compromise is that which “splits the difference.”
Option D: Restriction is not one of the strategies for conflict resolution. Another example is competing. Competing is used by people who go into a conflict planning to win. They’re assertive and not cooperative. This method is characterized by the assumption that one side wins and everyone else lose. It doesn’t allow room for diverse perspectives into a well-informed total picture.