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This may result when formal authority, or even physical threat, is asserted – with a disregard for the claims of others. Legitimate force may be required in an emergency situation where safety is at stake.

This is the sector we want to aim for. A place where there is high cooperation and high assertion. Solutions are sought together (through a proper dialogue) which are understood, appreciated and ‘owned’ by both conflicting parties.

Clearly, we wish to avoid ‘avoiding’ behaviour – where no one really states what they want, and they’re not prepared to go out of their way to work on an issue. Avoidance is an unfortunate trait of under-confident managers.

This sounds OK, but may involve you budging so much that none of your needs are met. They are sacrificed to meet the needs of the other person.

Compromise is often sought because it is seen to avoid the ill-effects of other responses. Both parties get some of what they want on a specific issue – but the resulting outcome may not be very good for the wider goal the parties are trying to achieve. Compromise may be useful if there is no time to establish a more collaborative situation.