Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument

Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument is the world leading conflict-handling instrument. This tool helps people understand how the different conflict resolution techniques affect the interpersonal and group relations. Kilmann’s model also enables people to have the right strategy in for solving any conflict.

Kilmann model makes an in-depth analysis of an individual’s assertiveness or cooperativeness when they encounter a conflicting situation and how they rhyme with the five known conflict resolution styles. A person can resolve a conflict by either avoiding, collaborating, accommodating, compromising or competing.

Features of the model

The instrument states that a highly assertive but uncooperative person would use a competing strategy to resolve conflicts. Competition is a win-loss situation that results into conflict escalation and harms the existing interpersonal relations.

A highly aggressive and cooperative individual collaborates in times of conflicts. This style results in a win-win situation as both the aggressor and the victim resolves the conflict together, forming better grounds for further cooperation. However, collaboration is time consuming, as it takes long for all parties to arrive at an amicable ground.

An unassertive but cooperative person accommodates the aggressors resulting into a lose-win situation. The aggressors get their way, and the victim ends up hurt. Accommodation is only temporary since it is unsustainable in the long run.

An unassertive and uncooperative person avoids addressing conflicts, which results in a loss-loss situation. Avoiding a conflict leaves the aggressing factor unattended, which makes the conflict escalates to unbearable levels. Ignoring the existence of a conflict opens room for other negative issues that jeopardizes relationships.

Those in the middle, neither assertive nor cooperative, always compromise their stand as a way of resolving conflicts. Although compromising provides a temporary solution to a conflict and allows time to look for a permanent solution, it may be a sign of weakness when it becomes too often. It also becomes hard to resolve the conflict when important values and moral grounds have been compromised.

Application

Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument is applied to several situations. In conflict management, the tool is essentials in the identification of the different styles available to handle a conflict and in the selection of the applicable style to the prevailing situation. The tool enhances team building by assisting team members to reconcile their differences and work together.

Kilmann model makes leaders more effective by developing their conflict management competencies. Better conflict handling results to improved performance due to higher morale among the team members. The model is also applicable in the reduction of stress levels and lowering the employees’ turnover rate.

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