Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann developed their Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model to understand how individuals handle conflict in different situations. It outlines five approaches to handling conflict along two dimensions of assertiveness (the extent to which an individual attempts to satisfy their own concerns) and cooperativeness (the extent to which an individual attempts to satisfy the concerns of the other person):
Reference:
BITESIZE LEARNING. 2025. ‘The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model, Explained’. BiteSize Learning.
When working with other people, it is not unusual for misunderstandings and clashes to occur. And this is often considered a necessary element of teamwork and creativity - especially in the 'storming' stages of the team lifecycle where passionate debate and constructive conflict can make for better ideas. However, sometimes this conflict can be destructive rather than constructive.
Areas of teamwork where conflict is common are:
Being aware of different conflict styles can help you choose the right approach for different teamwork situations. If conflicts arise, assess which conflict style is being used and whether a different approach could lead to a better resolution. Each strategy can be useful at times (i.e. 'pick your battles'), but collaborating (win-win) helps break free from a 'win-lose' paradigm and better aligns with a team's task and educational goals.
When addressing conflict, try the following:
Address the action not the person - Everyone has a different way of working and part of overcoming differences is working congenially and collegially. When addressing conflict, remind yourself that misunderstandings are not personal and address the action rather than the person.
Listen actively - try to understand the root cause of the issue and be open to what you hear - try not to formulate a response until you have heard people out. Better to repeat back what the other says to confirm that you understand: 'You have said that you feel...have I understood that correctly?"
