The Thomas-Kilmann Model

Conflict is an inevitable part of human interaction. Have you noticed that you or your colleagues have recurring conflict resolution tactics?

According to Ken Thomas and Ralph Kilman, conflict behavior is based on two behavioral styles: cooperation, which involves paying attention to the interests of others in the conflict, and assertiveness, which emphasizes protecting your interests.

There are five tactics based on levels of cooperation and assertiveness.

1. Competition - striving to achieve one's interests to the detriment of another.
2. Accommodation - sacrificing one's interests for the sake of another.
3. Compromise - agreement based on mutual concessions; offering a version that removes the arisen conflict.
4. Avoidance - no desire for cooperation and no tendency to achieve one's own goals.
5. Collaboration - participants in the situation come to an alternative that fully satisfies the interests of both sides.

No tactic is better or worse; it all depends on the usage context.

The person using this style is assertive and unyielding; Their style is focused on influence. When competing, the person satisfies their interests at the other person's expense, using whatever power seems appropriate to win their opponent's position.

Use in the following situations:

• When quick and decisive action is vital, such as in an emergency.
• When you need to implement an unpopular course of action, such as cutting costs, enforcing unpopular rules, and discipline.
• When you need to protect yourself from people who are enjoying uncompetitive behavior.
• When you know your idea is right.

Accommodation is natural in situations where the problem raised is not as important to the person as it is to their opponent, or the relationship with the opponent is of independent value, more significant than achieving the goal.

Use in the following situations:

• When you realize that you are wrong. Use it to consider a better solution, to learn from others, and to show that you are reasonable.
• When the problem is much more important to the other person than it is to you. To meet the needs of others and as a goodwill gesture to help maintain cooperative relationships.
• When you are outperformed, and increased competition will only hurt you.
• When maintaining harmony and avoiding destruction is particularly important.
• When you want to help your employees evolve by letting them experiment and learn from their mistakes.

In collaboration, one tries to work with the other person to find solutions that fully satisfy both sides.

Use in the following situations:

• When you need a comprehensive solution, the problems of both sides are too important and cannot be ignored.
• When your goal is to learn, and you want to test your assumptions and understand the opinions of others.
• When you want to combine people's ideas with different perspectives on a problem.
• When you want commitment by including others in the consensus solution.
• When you must overcome the hard feelings that have hampered the relationship.

The goal of compromise is to find a reasonable, mutually acceptable solution that partially satisfies both sides.

Use in the following situations:

• When goals are moderately important but not worth the effort or potential disruption associated with using more aggressive methods.
• When two opponents with equal power are strongly committed to mutually exclusive goals, such as in negotiations between staff and management.
• When you want to achieve a temporary solution to a complex problem.
• When you need to arrive at a feasible solution in a short time frame.
• As a backup mode when cooperation or competition fails.

Avoidance can take the form of diplomatically avoiding the issue, postponing the issue until better times, or simply withdrawing from a threatening situation.

Use in the following situations:

• When the problem is not essential or when other, more important issues arise.
• When you see no chance of meeting your needs, such as when you have little energy or are frustrated with something that would be very difficult to change.
• When the potential costs of confronting the conflict outweigh the benefits of resolving it.
• When you need to let people cool down - reduce tensions to productive levels, and restore perspective and composure.
• When gathering more information outweighs the benefits of immediate resolution.
• When others can solve the problem more effectively.
• When the problem seems secondary or symptomatic to another, more manageable situation.

While you may have a penchant for specific conflict resolution tactics, you don't have to use them in every situation. With time and effort, you can learn new conflict-resolution skills that will improve your ability to negotiate and solve problems with others.

When conflict arises:

1. Determine how critical its resolution is to both you and others.
2. Consider what you are willing to give up and how much you want in return?

Based on the answers to these questions, select consciously one possible tactic: competition, cooperation, compromise, evasion, or accommodation.