Personal Profile for Conflict Predispositions

Personal Profile for Conflict Predispositions.
Conflict Management Styles.
It is important to carry out a self-assessment on our preferences in dealing with and managing the conflict. According to Shockley-Zalabak (2011), the performance of the self-analysis helps in developing sensitivity while approaching a conflict or the person you are conflicting with. Shockley-Zalabak (2011) describes five predispositions of handling conflict; these are accommodation, collaboration, compromise, avoidance, and competition. Thus, judging from my total score on my preference style in dealing with conflict, I believe that collaboration achieves the most result. As a method, it enables one to examine the situation thoughtfully focusing on the primary goals. Similarly, I would consider the use of compromise as the second best way, especially in a situation where negotiating is needed. The method works best in group settings rather than in individuals’ conflicts. Based on the scores, I totally would not go for methods such as avoidance, accommodation and most especially competition. These methods are self-centered and only achieve an individual’s goal.
Strategies and Tactics
Based on Shockley-Zalabak (2011), predisposition methods aim at either escalating the conflict, avoiding engaging in one, maintenance of the conflict, and a reduction of it. The occurrence of either one of these is influenced by the type of communication tactic employed while handling conflicts. Competitive and confrontational methods only act to escalate the dispute whereas open debate and disagreements may maintain or reduce the conflict.

Consequently, focusing on my scores in tactic preference, on a scale of 1 to 5, I am more prone to engage in tactics that aim in reducing conflict rather than escalating or avoiding it all the same. A common limitation to either one of these tactics is that people will always view their efforts to be more positive than those generated from people we are in conflict with.

References
Shockley-Zalabak, P. (2011). Fundamentals of Organizational Communication. Boston, MA: Ally & Bacon.