The DUTCH Conflict Handling Inventory developed by DeDreu and colleagues is a well-validated measurement tool based on the dual concern theory. It puts conflict handling behaviour on a grid based on where you intersect on two dimensions– showing concern for your own interests (on axis at the bottom here) and showing concern for the other person’s interests (on the axis on the left). The intersection of those two dimensions creates five potential approaches that you might take in any given conflict.

When you are showing low concerns for both interest of your own and the other party, you are probably engaging in the “Avoiding” approach (at the lower left corner) and acting like there is no problem. At the opposite corner is “Problem-solving” – this is where we problem solve and collaborate, persistently advocating for BOTH our own interests and wellbeing, what we want, as well as what the other person needs and wants. At the upper left corner, “Yielding” is prioritizing the other person’s needs at the expense of yours, and “Forcing” at the lower right corner is the opposite, prioritizing your needs and interests at the expense of your partner’s. Lastly, when you show intermediate concern for your own interest paired with intermediate concern for others, you might be engaging in “Compromising” by searching for a middle ground.

These approaches can be a tactic you use for a specific interaction. And over time, you might develop the tendency to rely on one or two approaches more heavily than the others and form your own conflict handling style. Again, your DUTCH Conflict Handling scores indicate which approaches are the most habitual to you when a conflict emerges at work. They are all valuable– none of the approaches are inherently right or wrong, just more or less suitable for a specific situation. I like to describe them as a toolkit. You will want to be able to use any of these tools when the situation calls for it.

In the next couple of sessions, we will discuss each conflict handling style in more detail – what do they look like, how they might be practiced at work, and in what situations are they best used. We will also introduce ways to help you identify the most suitable conflict approach in a specific situation and connect your conflict handling behaviour with your goal and values.