Module 5: Confrontation and Conflict Resolution

Table of Contents

1. Think About It!
2. In This Module
   1. The Key to Positive Relationships
   2. Creating a Positive Communication Climate
   3. Defensiveness in Communication
   4. Preventing Defensiveness in Others
   5. Responding Non-Defensively to Criticism
   6. What is Conflict?
   7. Conflict Styles
   8. Steps to Conflict Resolution
   9. Conflict Outcomes
3. Review
4. Resources used in preparing this Module

The Key to Positive Relationships

Photo by V Cobham

The way people feel about each other is important in your personal life, but it is equally important in the workplace. We all have a responsibility to contribute toward creating a positive communication climate. When you have an understanding of the kinds of behaviour that contribute to defensiveness and hostility and the kinds of behaviours that lead to positive feelings, you will have learned how you can act in ways that improve your interpersonal climate.

Two terms that are related to the communication climate are confirming and disconfirming communications:

These messages develop in three increasingly positive levels:

• Recognition: The most fundamental act of confirmation is to recognize the other person.
• Acknowledgement: Acknowledging the ideas and feelings of others is a stronger form of confirmation. Show interest by listening; asking questions; soliciting opinions.
• Endorsement: Endorsement means to agree with others' ideas. This is the strongest confirming message because it communicates the highest level of valuing.

Disconfirming messages can lead to listeners feeling defensive in the communication. Verbal abuse, complaining, impervious messages, interrupting, and irrelevant, tangential, impersonal, incongruous, and ambiguous responses are examples of disconfirming communication.