Participants become conditioned to seek expedient, rather than effective, solutions. You are probably using which approach to resolve conflict?

A) Forcing
B) Avoiding
C) Compromising
D) Accommodating
E) Collaborating

Answer: C
Explanation: A) Incorrect. The forcing approach is an attempt to satisfy one's own needs at the expense of others. It is used when the other party is uncooperative and is not seeking a solution.
B) Incorrect. Avoiding is used when both the issue and the relationship are unimportant. It sidesteps the conflict and avoids any solution, let alone an effective one. In the long term, it causes frustration for others because problems never seem to be resolved.
C) Correct. The compromising response is intermediate between assertiveness and cooperativeness. It is an attempt to obtain partial satisfaction for both parties; both are asked to make sacrifices to obtain a common gain. It is often the fastest way to a solution.
D) Incorrect. The accommodating approach satisfies the other party's concerns while neglecting one's own. It emphasizes preserving a friendly relationship at the expense of critically appraising issues.
E) Incorrect. The collaborating approach is an attempt to address fully the concerns of both parties. This should be implemented when both the issue and relationship are important because it is the only win-win strategy.