Smoothing/Accommodating
Smoothing (also called accommodating) is a conflict resolution technique that emphasizes areas of agreement rather than areas of difference, often at the expense of one party who yields to maintain harmony.
Explanation
Smoothing focuses on de-escalating the conflict by highlighting common ground and minimizing the perceived differences between parties. The person using this technique may downplay the importance of the disagreement or yield their position to maintain relationships and team harmony.\n\nThis approach is useful when the issue is more important to the other party, when preserving the relationship is the top priority, when the person realizes they are wrong, or when continued conflict would be more damaging than conceding. It provides a temporary resolution and can keep the team functioning while a more permanent solution is developed.\n\nThe main drawback is that smoothing does not resolve the underlying conflict. The issue is suppressed rather than addressed, which means it may resurface later in a more intense form. PMI considers this a lose-win approach because one party sacrifices their needs to satisfy the other.
Key Points
- •Emphasizes areas of agreement over areas of difference
- •One party yields to maintain harmony (lose-win)
- •Provides temporary relief but does not resolve root causes
- •Useful when the relationship is more important than the issue
Exam Tip
Smoothing focuses on what the parties agree on, not what they disagree on. It is a temporary fix. If a scenario describes someone downplaying differences to keep peace, that is smoothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Conflict Management
Conflict management is the practice of identifying and handling conflicts in a timely, constructive manner to minimize negative impacts and leverage disagreement for improved outcomes.
Compromising
Compromising (also called reconciling) is a conflict resolution technique where each party gives up something to reach a mutually acceptable solution, resulting in a lose-lose outcome.
Withdrawing/Avoiding
Withdrawing (also called avoiding) is a conflict resolution technique where one or both parties retreat from the conflict, postponing the issue or declining to engage.
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