Personal Conflict Style Inventory

From Peacebuilding

Activity - Personal Conflict Style Inventory

Contents 1 Aims: 2 Time: 3 Materials: 4 Procedure: 5 Debriefing: 6 Note: 7 Handout: 8 Source:

Aims:

• To help participants explore their own responses to being in conflict

• To help participants reflect on different ways of responding to conflict

Time:

At least 60 minutes

Materials:

• Copies of Handout 1, "How Do I Respond to Conflict?" (see below)

• Copies of Handout 2, "Conflict Handling Styles"

• Flipcharts and markers

Procedure:

I) Distribute copies of Handout 1 to each participant.

II) Tell participants that there are a number of ways of responding to conflict and this tool is designed to help identify how they respond to conflict as soon as it occurs and after it has been going on for a while. Also point out that it’s important for people doing conflict transformation and peacebuilding work to know how they personally react to conflict in order to deal with conflicts in a healthy, constructive way when they arise during their work.

III) Have participants read the questionnaire and follow the listed instructions. Allow sufficient time for answering the questions.

IV) After participants have answered the questionnaire, go through the scoring procedure if participants have difficulty with it.

V) Debrief after the questionnaire by going through the different conflict styles and identify strengths and weaknesses for each one. Tell them it’s unnecessary to share their preferred conflict styles and that each conflict style has its strengths and weaknesses, which makes them better in some situations than others. Ask participants to call out strengths and weaknesses for each conflict style. Write their responses on the blackboard or flip chart. You may also encourage discussion.

Debriefing:

You might wish to have participants reflect on the cultural appropriateness of the inventory, and how their responses to conflict are culturally influenced. The following questions could be used for reflection:

• In what circumstances are each of the five styles appropriate?
• In your own cultural context, what values do you place on each style?

Note:

Some participants may be uncomfortable with sharing, but others may want to share. Individuals will often talk in small groups with neighbours about their results.

Handout:

Personal Conflict Style Inventory Sheet

Source:

This activity is included in Peacebuilding: A Caritas Training Manual. Originally from Kraybill, R., Mediation and Facilitation Training Manual, Akron, PA: Mennonite Conciliation Services, 1987.