The OPP conflict quiz
Take our short quiz to find out how you approach and manage conflict in the workplace. Please answer all the questions below, check your score, then read the corresponding paragraph underneath to discover how you can get the most out of conflict.
Your score:
| Do you ever have to deal with conflict in the workplace? |
| A: No, never |
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| B: Yes, occasionally |
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| C: Yes, frequently |
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| D: Yes, always |
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| How much time do you spend dealing with conflict? |
| A: 0-1 hours per week |
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| B: 1-2 hours per week |
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| C: 2-3 hours per week |
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| D: Over 3 hours per week |
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| Have you received training in conflict management? |
| A: Yes, plenty throughout my career |
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| B: Yes, I've had some useful training |
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| C: I've had some training that wasn't particularly useful/relevant |
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| D: No, none at all |
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| Have you had any positive outcomes from conflict? |
| A: Yes, I have understood others better, improved relationships and made better solutions to problems |
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| B: Yes, a better understanding of others or a better solution to the problem |
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| C: Not really, a little better understanding of others or a slightly better solution to a problem |
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| D: I haven't had any positive outcomes from conflict |
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| How does conflict make you feel? |
| A: Confident, excited and energised - it's the spice of life |
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| B: Nothing, I'm used to it |
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| C: Sleepless and stressed |
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| D: Demotivated - it's such a distraction |
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Your score:
How did you do?
0-20
Congratulations, you seem to be well equipped to deal with the conflict situations that you currently face. This means that you are likely to be able to get the most out of diverse opinions and reach better decisions as a result. However, you should be aware that changing situations, such as new co-workers or a promotion, could mean that you face additional demands on your conflict management skills. There may also be opportunities for you to get more out of current situations. Which conflict situations do you think are most likely to challenge you in the future?
- The style I take when working in conflict situations (TKI®)
- Conflict with a particular person (FIRO®)
- Conflict within my team (MBT®)
- My ability to cope with the pressure of conflict situations (16PF®)
21-50
Well done, you seem to be able to cope with many of the conflict situations that you currently face. There are probably opportunities for you to equip yourself to get more out of some conflict situations. Perhaps you can think of particular people or situations where you don't feel you always get the best outcome, particularly when you're under pressure or when there are multiple stakeholders. Which conflict situations do you think you could manage more effectively?
- The style I take when working in conflict situations (TKI)
- Conflict with a particular person (FIRO)
- Conflict within my team (MBTI)
- My ability to cope with the pressure of conflict situations (16PF)
51-80
Like most people, you may find many conflict situations challenging. Perhaps you've found yourself regretting a missed opportunity from failing to resolve a conflict situation positively. To get the best outcomes from conflict you may wish to look for additional sources of support. A good way to start can be to take the time to understand your natural strengths and styles more effectively, and then explore some alternative approaches. How would being able to handle conflict more effectively affect your impact at work? In which situations would you like to understand yourself better?
- The style I take when working in conflict situations (TKI)
- Conflict with a particular person (FIRO)
- Conflict within my team (MBTI)
- My ability to cope with the pressure of conflict situations (16PF)
Over 80
Like many people, you are probably finding that conflict is undermining your effectiveness in some situations, as well as your job satisfaction. To help you manage this effectively, you should look for more sources of support through peers, your manager, HR or formal training. Conflict doesn't have to be a negative experience and most people see positive outcomes at least some of the time. Those who have attended formal training almost always say that it helps them by increasing their confidence and helping them to gain a win-win outcome. Which situations would you like to be able to get more positive outcomes from?
- The style I take when working in conflict situations (TKI)
- Conflict with a particular person (FIRO)
- Conflict within my team (MBTI)
- My ability to cope with the pressure of conflict situations (16PF)
We all have choices in how we deal with conflict situations: should we be assertive, co-operative, or both? Our experience suggests that most of us do not make the most of our choices. Instead we tend to use the approach that comes most easily or naturally to us. The TKI is an excellent tool for raising your awareness of what your natural style is in a conflict situation and providing the basis for learning to use other modes when they would yield a better result.
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The FIRO-B focuses on our interpersonal needs. This means it's well suited to helping us understand what is frustrating us when we are not able to get what we want from someone that we work with. By examining our varying personal needs - to be included, to have control and for openness - the FIRO-B provides a great basis to understand yourself and others better in conflict situations: helping both you and the other party to get what you need.
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Well managed conflict is vital to high performing teams. Harnessing the power of diverse opinions and approaches to make higher quality decisions and actions is critical. However many teams fail to live up to their full potential. One way of unlocking this is to gain a greater understanding of your style and the styles of the rest of your team. The MBTI can help you to consider questions such as: 'How can we enhance our team communication?' and 'How can we work together to make more effective decisions?'
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Conflict is a source of pressure at work for many people, and in turn, higher levels of pressure or stress can themselves be a source of conflict as patience runs thin and tempers fray. The 16PF can help you to understand the impact of an individual's whole personality on a conflict situation, including their management of pressure. For example, will someone that you're considering hiring be someone who will let others see what is bothering them, or are they more likely to keep it bottled up? Information like this can be useful in both selection and development situations.
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