Communication
SITUATION 1: Upon experiencing strong feelings in a conflict situation, you would:
__ 0___ A. Enjoy the emotional release and sense of exhilaration and accomplishment.
__3___ B. Enjoy the strategizing involved and the challenge of the conflict.
__4__ C. Become serious about how others are feeling and thinking.
__2___ D. Find it frightening because you do not accept that differences can be discussed without someone’s getting hurt.
__1__ E. Become convinced that there is nothing you can do to resolve the issue.
__10___ TOTAL
SITUATION 2: Consider the following statements and rate them in terms of how characteristic they are of your personal beliefs:
__4___ A. Life is conquered by those who believe in winning.
__1__ B. Winning is rarely possible in conflict.
__3___ C. No one has the final answer to anything, but each has a piece to contribute.
__2___ D. In the last analysis, it is wise to turn the other cheek.
__0___ E. It is useless to attempt to change a person who seems locked into an opposing view.
__10___ TOTAL
SITUATION 3: What is the best result that you expect from conflict?
__2___ A. Conflict helps people face the fact that one answer is better than others.
__2___ B. Conflict results in canceling out extremes of thinking so that a strong middle ground can be reached.
__4___ C. Conflict clears the air and enhances commitment and results.
__2___ D. Conflict demonstrates the absurdity of self-centeredness and draws people closer together in their commitment to each other.
__0__ E. Conflict lessens complacency and assigns blame where it belongs.
__10___ TOTAL
STIUATION 4: When you are the person with the greater authority in a conflict situation, you would:
__1___ A. Put it straight, letting the other know your view.
__4___ B. Try to negotiate the best settlement you can get.
__1___ C. Ask to hear the other’s feelings and suggest that a position be found that both might be willing to try.
__1__ D. Go long with the other, providing support where you can.
__3__ E. Keep the encounter impersonal, citing rules if they apply.
__10___ TOTAL
SITUATION 5: When someone you care for takes an unreasonable position, you would:
__2___ A. Lay it on the line, telling him or her that you don’t like it.
_ 3___ B. Let him or her know in casual, subtle ways that you are not pleased; possibly distract with humor; and avoid a direct confrontation.
__3__ C. Call attention to the conflict and explore a mutually acceptable solution.
__1___ D. Try to keep your misgivings to yourself.
__1___ E. Let you actions speak for you by indicating depression or lack of interest.
__10___ TOTAL
SITUATION 6: When you become angry at a friend or colleague, you would:
____2_ A. Just explode without giving it much thought.
___5__ B. Try to smooth things over with a good story.
___0__ C. Express your anger and invite him or her to respond.
___3__ D. Try to compensate for your anger by acting the opposite of what you are feeling.
__0___ E. Remove yourself from the situation.
___10__ TOTAL
SITUATION 7: When you find yourself disagreeing with other members of a group on an important issue, you would:
___1__ A. Stand by your convictions and defend your position.
___3__ B. Appeal to the logic of the group in the hope of convincing at least a majority that you are right.
___5__ C. Explore points of agreement and disagreement and the feelings of the group’s member, and then search for alternatives that take everyone’s views into account.
___1__ D. Go along with the rest of the group.
___0__ E. Not participate in the discussion and not feel bound by any decision reached.
__10___ TOTAL
SITUATION 8: When a single group member takes a position in opposition to the rest of the group, you would:
__0___ A. Point out publicly that the dissenting member is blocking the group and suggest that the group move on without him or her if necessary.
__3___ B. Make sure the dissenting member has a chance to communicate his or her objections so that a compromise can be reached.
__3___ C. Try to uncover why the dissenting member views the issue differently, so that the group’s members can reevaluate their own positions.
__3___ D. Encourage the group’s members to set the conflict aside and go on to more agreeable items on the agenda.
__1___ E. Remain silent, because it is best to avoid becoming involved.
_____ TOTAL
SITUATION 9: When you see conflict emerging in a group, you would:
___1__ A. Push for a quick decision to ensure that the task is completed.
___4__ B. Avoid outright confrontation by moving the discussion toward a middle ground.
___4__ C. Share with the group your impression of what is going on, so that the nature of the impending conflict can be discussed.
__1___ D. Forestall or divert the conflict before it emerges by relieving the tension with humor.
__0___ E. Stay out of the conflict as long as it is of no concern to you.
__10___ TOTAL
SITUATION 10: In handling conflict between your group and another, you would:
__1___ A. Anticipate areas of resistance and prepare responses to objections prior to open conflict.
__3___ B. Encourage your group’s members to be prepared by identifying in advance areas of possible compromise.
__3__ C. Recognize that conflict is healthy and press for the identification of shared concerns and/or goals.
__2___ D. Promote harmony on the grounds that the only real result of conflict is the destruction of friendly relations.
__1__ E. Have your group submit the issue to an impartial arbitrator.
__10___ TOTAL
SITUATION 11: In selecting a member of your group to represent you in negotiating with another group, you would choose a person who:
___0__ A. Knows the rationale of your group’s position and would press vigorously for your group’s point of view.
___1__ B. Would see that most of your group’s judgments were incorporated into the final negotiated decision without alienating too many members of either group.
__5___ C. Would best represent the ideas of your group, evaluate these in view of judgments of the other group, and then emphasize problem-solving approaches to the conflict.
__2___ D. Is most skillful in interpersonal relations and would be openly cooperative and tentative in his or her approach.
__2___ E. Would present your group’s case accurately, while not making commitments that might result in obligating your group to a significantly changed position.
__10___ TOTAL
SITUATION 12: In your view, what might be the reason for the failure of one group to collaborate with another?
__2___ A. Lack of a clearly stated position, or failure to back up the group’s position.
__2___ B. Tendency of groups to force their leadership or representatives to abide by the group’s decision, as opposed to promoting flexibility, which would facilitate compromise.
__2___ C. Tendency of groups to enter negotiations with a win/lose perspective.
__2___ D. Lack of motivation on the part of the group’s membership to live peacefully with the other group.
__2__ E. Irresponsible behavior on the part of the group’s leadership, resulting in the leaders’ placing emphasis on maintaining their own power positions rather than addressing the issues involved.
__10___ TOTAL
Explanation
My dominant conflict style is collaborator as I focus on finding some solution that completely satisfies concerns of both individuals. My second strongest conflict style is compromiser because I focus on finding mutually acceptable solution that satisfies both parties. I faced a situation at my workplace in which my team members had a conflict on arrangement of documents in certain manner. Some members want to arrange documents in accordance with the date of their submission, but the policy was to arrange documents in a way that the one who submitted the document late should be at last. I went to the manager, and got a copy of policy, and told the mentioned facts to all members. All of my team members agreed to arrange documents in accordance with the policy. The results of survey have reflected my understanding of myself in a way that I considered myself to be a collaborator, and results have proved this fact.
