What Data From 6,000+ Leaders Reveals About Managing Conflict 5-minute read Written by Justin Deonarine, I/O Psychologist It seems that conflict and leadership go hand-in-hand. According to research: 93 to 99% of HR professionals see conflict management as an important leadership skill. Only 17% of respondents say that their leaders are effective at dealing with conflict. 73% of respondents believe that poor leadership is a common cause of conflict. When we take the data into consideration, it seems that an important leadership skill is in need of development. To better understand this gap, we analyzed Work Personality Index data from 6,371 leaders to uncover how they approach conflict, and what separates effective leaders from the rest. The 5 Conflict Styles There are 5 main styles that people adopt when faced with conflict. The style that each party uses can make navigating conflict easier or more difficult. Builders: Look to find a solution where everyone gets everything that they want. Best used when an ideal outcome is possible, but these solutions require more time and trust to establish. Negotiators: Look to satisfy everyone’s needs partially, but the solution means that no one is getting everything that they want. Best used when a decision needs to be made under a time pressure, or if the situation is too complex to arrive at a full agreement. Evaders: Look to disengage from the conflict. Best used to diffuse a heated situation. Harmonizers: Look to satisfy the needs of others, even if it comes at the expense of their own needs. Best used when harmony needs to be maintained, or if the relationship is more important than the issue at hand. Persuaders: Look to satisfy their own needs, even if it’s at the expense of the needs of others. Best used when a quick decision is required, such as in an emergency. Everyone has access to all of these Conflict Styles as options. However, most people rely on one or two approaches that have served them well in the past, or that they are simply most comfortable using. Leaders’ Natural Approach To Conflict Leaders tend to gravitate towards Building or Negotiating as their natural style, striving either for a win-win solution or a compromise. They will take the time to ensure that everyone’s needs are being met (or, at least, partially met). However, there are two main challenges that arise when Building and Negotiating are the most frequently adopted styles: Missed Opportunities: Leaders may be too slow to react to opportunities with narrow windows, as a mutually beneficial solution may take too much time to establish. There are times when embracing a Persuader’s or Harmonizer’s approach will help the team capitalize on time-sensitive opportunities. Unmet Needs: Leaders may find that their team’s needs are not always being fulfilled. Resorting to Negotiating on a regular basis means that they are always giving something up. Eventually, this will result in unmet needs. This highlights the importance of needing to accurately weigh the importance of an issue to one’s team. A leader may need to adopt a persuasive approach to ensure that their team’s needs are being met. No single conflict style works in every situation. Adaptive leaders recognize when to switch styles. How Can A Leader Adapt Their Approach? Navigating conflict is a lot like the game of Chess: There’s going to be a give-and-take, and a leader will have to make multiple moves to eventually resolve the challenge at hand. Step 1: Assess the situation The first step is to recognize that their preferred style will not always be effective. They will need to stop and evaluate the situation. They can do so by asking themselves the following questions: How complex is the issue at hand? How important is the issue to me? How important is the issue to others? How much time do we have to resolve this conflict? Do we trust each other enough to be open about our needs and concerns? How well can we communicate with each other? How important is our relationship? Step 2: Choose an effective approach Based on their answers to these questions, they can choose an approach accordingly. Conflict Style Effective Scenarios to Harness This Approach Evade Emotions are strained and people are upset The issue is complex There is time to resolve the conflict The issue is important to both parties * Remember to return to the issue. This approach works best when used as an opportunity to gather more information or to think about the challenge further. It’s not effective if you never resolve the issue. Persuade The issue is important to you You have expertise or knowledge that the other parties lack There is limited time to resolve the conflict The issue may not be important to the other party The relationship isn’t critical to you Establish Harmony The issue is important to the other party, but not as important to you The relationship is critical to you There is limited time to resolve the conflict Negotiate The issue is somewhat important to you and the other party There is limited time to resolve the conflict The environment allows you to share your needs and concerns You communicate effectively with the other party Build The issue is very important to you and others There is time to resolve the conflict The environment allows you to share your needs and concerns You communicate effectively with the other party You trust each other Keep in mind that the conditions of the conflict may change over time. Leaders will need to re-evaluate the situation and respond using an appropriate style. There’s nothing wrong with coming back to the questions above and choosing a different approach as the situation changes, that’s the give-and-take of managing conflict. Other content in this series examining the data from 6000+ leaders: Our recent webinar: Beyond The Surface Our previous blog post: The communication styles that leaders prefer. Curious about how you and your leaders are approaching conflict? Take a look at the Work Personality Index Explorer and Team Dynamics!
