Comm - Chapter 12

Managing Conflict
There are various ways to deal with conflict:

Avoidance: postponing, hiding your feelings, change the subject, leave the room or quit the project. Avoidance may be appropriate when the matter is small, there is a need to take time to calm down, and time is needed to gather information. Avoidance may not be appropriate when the issue is large, a quick decision is necessary, issue has a major impact, postponing may make matters worse.

Accommodation: To satisfy a need for a particular individual or group, emphasizing common parts but de-emphasize the differences. This is helpful for the group to review the common purpose but again, it is not appropriate when an issue needs to be dressed immediately.

Compromise: To be flexible with a part of your request. Compromise is mutual for everyone as everyone receives something and all give up something. This works when everyone can agree on give and take and an immediate resolution is needed. Compromise doesn't work when initial demands are too great or there is no commitment to honor the compromise.

Collaboration: Or, consensus, this happens with not all parties can agree but are willing to agree completely. This is best used when individuals respect and trust, share views, members want the best solution, individuals are willing to change their mind when more information in produced. This is not a solution when there is little time or no trust, respect or communication.

Groupthink
The practice of approaching problems or issues as matters that are best dealt with by consensus of a group rather than by individuals acting independently; conformity.
The lack of individual creativity, or of a sense of personal responsibility, that is sometimes characteristic of group intereaction.