The history of human nature is impossible to imagine without the concept of conflict. However, while most people perceive the very notion of conflict to be an extremely negative phenomenon that should be avoided when possible, it is, indeed, the thing that pushes many people beyond the limits of their thoughts when used wisely. In order to obtain a beneficial outcome from the conflict, one should consider two major aspects of self-actualization and collaborative skills. The first segment is crucial in terms of managing disparities within an individual in order to define one’s outlook and readiness to cooperate.
The latter, on the other hand, is directly related to the person’s ability to reach a consensus in terms of communication with other people. This aspect is especially crucial for an efficient work team, as it is supposed to result in the outcome better than it would be made separately. Thus, one of the most widespread models to define the levels of assertiveness and cooperation is the Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode model. According to the researchers, the conflict concept could be defined as a situation where the views of two people appear to be incompatible. Hence, the following instrument is aimed at defining one of the five basic conflict conduct models that estimate the extent of both assertiveness and collaboration within an individual.
After having completed the conflict mode instrument, I discovered that out of the five possible models, I could relate myself to the Compromising type. According to the researchers, this conflict conduct model is placed in the center of all the types when visualized, as it comprises both aspects of assertiveness and cooperation to an equal extent, making consensus and agreement my major aim in any conflict situation. In fact, I believe that these results depict the dissonance I often experience in conflict situations. Every time I face conflict, I know how to act in order to solve it without any aggression and arguments between separate individuals, even if it is about sacrificing some of my own interests for the sake of consensus.
However, the major issue here lies in my subconscious desire to end the conflict as soon as possible through active communication at its very genesis. Although it might be a good quality in some cases, I believe that the process of compromise is present in my nature, not due to the presence of extraordinary communicative skills but because of the fear of conflicts in the first place. Hence, once it arises, I am interested not in getting to the roots of the issue to find a solution but in finding the most satisfying solution on the shortest notice. When facing a conflict in the classroom, I could use my skills to find the points of intersection in order to find the most appropriate solution to the issue.
However, I would also like to obtain more collaborative skills to learn how to become more involved in the messages of each participant. The notion of conflict has many variables that require time and practice to examine, as it cannot be eradicated from one’s life. Hence, in terms of this class curriculum, it would be quite beneficial to dwell upon the practical case studies of conflict management. In such a way, students would be able to apply the theoretical basis learned in terms of the course to later perform those skills in real-life situations. Moreover, it would be a great opportunity to bond as a group in order to show better class performance.