Goals of this Module
- Explore how people us different strategies in a conflict situation
- Recognise your own usual approach to conflict
- Recommend a collaborative approach to resolving conflicts
Strategies for managing conflict
There are five strategies most people use when conflict has arisen3.
Q: Look at the picture below and read the five definitions below.
| Avoiding |
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When people simply walk away from conflict
They prefer not to become involved, knowing that it is easier to pretend it isn’t happening than to deal whatever created the problem in the first place. This strategy might help avoid a confrontation, but it does not fix the problem. |
| Competing |
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People who adopt this strategy want to win at all costs
They are assertive* but not at all co-operative. (* Assertive means standing up for what you want. People who are not assertive do not put their needs first. People who are very assertive want what is best for them.) With people who adopt a competing strategy, someone wins but therefore someone else loses. Competing works well in sports and war, but not very often when solving a problem on a vessel. |
| Accomodating |
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People give in to the wishes or demands of the other person
This is the opposite of competing. Accommodators are certainly being cooperative but not at all assertive of their position or rights. Often people will be accommodators simply to keep the peace.
However, like avoidance, it can result in the issues not being resolved. Too many accommodators on a vessel can result in the most assertive people commandeering all decisions and controlling conversations. This denies much of the diversity of views that leads to good teamworking. |
| Collaborating |
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The approach taken by people who are very cooperative
These people are cooperative as well as being very assertive. They seek a shared solution which meets their needs as well as the needs of others. In other words, they seek a win/win solution.
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| Compromise |
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People who are partly cooperative and partly assertive
Although these people are partly cooperative and partly assertive, everybody has to give up something and nobody gets entirely what they want.
The best outcome is to ‘split the difference’. Compromise is perceived to be fair, even if nobody is particularly happy with the final outcome.
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Q: Which of these strategies do you tend to use when in a conflict situation?
Q: Read the situation below about the difference between compromising and collaborating.
Two children are fighting over the last orange.
Eventually they decide to compromise and cut the orange in half.
A reasonable compromise you might think. But if they had collaborated to find out why the other person wanted the orange, they might have discovered that one of them wanted an orange drink, 
whilst the other wanted the peel for a cake.
In this case each person would have got 100% of what they wanted instead of 50%.
All conflicts can be improved when both sides work to understand what the other wants or needs. To do this, try and find out the reason behind the problem (not assume you already know).
Scenario 4
Q: Read the following scenario and discuss the question with a partner:
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There is a very bad atmosphere on your vessel which has been developing between the deck and engine room departments. It has become much worse since leaving the last port.
The Captain blames the Chief Engineer (C/E) for delays caused by waiting in port for the main engine maintenance to be completed.
The C/E says it was the Captain’s fault as he forgot to tell the C/E when permission was received to start the work.
The Captain has demanded an apology from the C/E and has made it known that he will accept nothing less, but the C/E has managed to keep himself very busy and has not appeared at mealtimes or in any of the common areas of the vessel.
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What motivates you as an individual can be very different.
It is valuable to know what motivates you, as it will explain some of your automatic behaviours. It might also explain why you become frustrated with others who are not driven by the same values.
?What strategies for managing conflict have been adopted by the Captain and chief engineer? Discuss.
As a result of both their approaches, the tension remains and the whole crew suffers.
?What strategies for managing conflict have been adopted by the Captain and chief engineer? Discuss.
Both people in the scenario have strong opinions and think they are right, but their stubbornness is stopping them working well as a team.
Q: Now think about yourselves. take five minutes to think about the following questions and share with your partner:
?Think of a conflict you have been involved in.
E.g. a family argument, a work situation, a problem that happened when you bought something, or booked a holiday.
How was it settled? (remember the strategies above and be honest!)
Could it have been handled better and, if so, how?
A ‘Golden Bridge’ can help everyone maintain dignity and ‘save face’.
Summary of module 2, volume 3
Q: Take a moment to write down what you will remember from this session and what you want to do as a result.
In this session we have talked about managing conflict, and the five different types of strategy people use in conflict situations.
We saw how collaborating with others gave the best chance of all parties reaching a satisfactory solution.
Take time to read through the descriptions of the strategies again when you have time. When you are next in a conflict situation, try to find ways of collaborating.
References for this module include the following sources:
[1] For a fuller account and a psychometric test, see the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument