Conflict Resolution
5
Modes
Collaborate, Compromise, Accommodate, Force, Avoid
1
PMI Preferred
Collaborate / problem-solve for most situations
2
Axes
Assertiveness and cooperativeness
plot yourself on the grid
Thomas-Kilmann
Five modes, plotted where they actually live. Assertiveness vertical, cooperativeness horizontal.
Force
win / lose
Collaborate
win / win
Compromise
lose / lose
Avoid
no / no
Accommodate
lose / win
how to read this
- › Two axes measure your posture in a conflict. Vertical = assertiveness (how hard you push your own needs). Horizontal = cooperativeness (how much you accommodate theirs).
- › Where the dot sits tells you which mode you're using. Top-right (high both) is Collaborate — the PMI favorite.
- › No mode is always right. Force is appropriate when someone is in danger. Withdraw is fine when the issue is trivial.
- › Compromise isn't "collaborate lite." Both parties give up something — it's lose-lose, not win-win.
Exam Traps
Collaborate is preferred but not always correct
Force is right when safety is at stake. Withdraw is right when emotions need cooling or the issue is trivial. Do not auto-pick Collaborate.
Compromise is lose-lose, not collaboration-lite
In compromise, both parties give something up. It is not the same as collaborate, where both parties win. The exam tests this distinction directly.
Withdraw has legitimate uses
Stepping back from a trivial conflict or a conflict that needs to cool is appropriate. It is not automatically wrong.
Productive conflict is healthy
Divergent ideas lead to better solutions. The PM should facilitate productive conflict, not suppress it.
Collaborate for important issues
When both parties' concerns matter and there is time, collaborate. Win-win beats every other mode when available.
Force is for emergencies
Safety, ethics, legal compliance. Force is right there. Force for convenience is wrong.
You and a friend want different restaurants. You talk it out, find one both love. Nobody loses. This is the PMI gold standard.
You both give up your first choice and pick a third restaurant neither of you loves. Nobody wins, but nobody escalates.
You yield to your friend and go where they want. Good for minor issues. Bad if it becomes a pattern.
You insist on your restaurant because you have a reservation already booked. Win-lose. Appropriate under time pressure.
You step away and decide to eat separately. Good when the conflict is not worth solving. Bad when avoidance becomes default.
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