When we find ourselves in conflict with the needs or goals of others, there are different styles for how to navigate them. The Dual Concern Model For Conflict offers five types. We captured them in a nicely designed canvas.
How does this help your team?
Conflicts in groups are often “invisible elephants”. Instead of what we expect conflicts to be — raised voices and slamming doors — conflicts are often subtle and take place below the waterline. Like a team where everyone feels they are contributing more than others. Or one person who feels they can’t get their voice in because another person is claiming all the air time in conversations. Research shows how even light conflict can cause team productivity to drop, as members are increasingly occupied with the fall-out.
We used this canvas to familiarize teams with the Dual Concern Model For Conflict (Pruitt & Rubin, 1986). It offers five common styles of how people respond to conflict. Together with the canvas, we developed a DIY workshop that uses the Liberating Structure "Improv Prototyping" to encourage your team to playfully explore the different styles, address the ones they recognize, and make improvements accordingly.
What do you receive?
- A large PDF with a canvas, ready for printing and sharing;
More inspiration
- Read the associated blog post "Conflict Styles: What Science Says"
- Download a fully prepared string of Liberating Structures to playfully explore five styles of responding to conflict, address the one's team members recognize, and make improvements accordingly.