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

Responding Non-Defensively to Criticism

Unfortunately we will all be in situations where we feel defensive. However, we have the choice to either respond defensively and have the situation escalate or to use strategies that are likely to resolve the dispute.

Strategies to respond non-defensively to criticism:

• Seek more information.
  • Ask for specifics.
  • Guess about specifics.
  • Paraphrase the speaker's ideas.
  • Ask what the critic wants.
  • Ask about the consequences of your behaviour.
  • Ask what else is wrong.
• Agree with the critic.
  • Agree with the facts.
  • Agree with the critic's perception.

Photo by V Cobham