Internal Conflict Resolution Guidebook
Resolve Conflict Without Damaging Relationships
Understand your style, choose the right strategy, and create win‑win outcomes.
What this guide helps you do
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Interpret your reactions to conflict so you can manage emotions and needs more effectively.
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Analyze different types of conflict—process, role, interpersonal, direction, external—and match them with practical resolution steps.
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Build conflict resolution strategies that benefit all team members and strengthen unity.
Step 1: Know your conflict style
Use the 15‑item Conflict Reaction Profile (rate 1–3: seldom/sometimes/most of the time), then:
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Add scores for: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15
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Subtract scores for: 3, 5, 7, 11
Result:
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1–4: Passive – tend to hold back, get walked over; need to stand up diplomatically.
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5–10: Assertive – balanced, open listener who expresses ideas appropriately.
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11+: Aggressive – come across combative; need to listen more and soften approach.
Step 2: Apply targeted strategies by conflict type
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Process conflicts: Clarify your control, find root cause, talk to process owner, agree on problem, propose solution + action plan, then follow through and recognize them.
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Role conflicts: Re‑examine how you see your role, clarify expectations with others, stay flexible, and look at changes as opportunities.
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Interpersonal conflicts: Challenge your own biases, identify three behaviors you can change, ask the other person how to defuse tension, see things from their viewpoint, and list their strengths + benefits of improving the relationship.
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Direction conflicts: Clarify vision and discrepancies in neutral terms, ask to address them calmly, use “I/we” instead of “you,” choose higher values when they clash, and make authentic commitments.
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External conflicts: Focus on what you can control, pick battles that are worth the price, act instead of complaining, do good for others, keep perspective, and talk to someone you trust.
