CCM Strategic Planning & Execution 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During strategic conflict planning, a BATNA is best described as:
- The best outcome achievable if negotiation succeeds
- The most favorable alternative if current talks fail (Correct answer)
- A binding arbitration agreement reached before negotiation
- A technique for delaying a final decision
Correct answer: The most favorable alternative if current talks fail
BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) defines your strongest option if the current negotiation does not produce an agreement.
Question 2: Which strategic framework helps conflict managers map stakeholder interests against their levels of influence?
- Force-field analysis
- Power-interest grid (Correct answer)
- SWOT matrix
- Pareto analysis
Correct answer: Power-interest grid
A power-interest grid plots stakeholders by how much power they hold and how interested they are in the outcome, guiding engagement strategy.
Question 3: A conflict manager sets a 'reservation point' before entering talks. This represents:
- The opening offer designed to anchor negotiations
- The minimum acceptable outcome below which no deal is preferred (Correct answer)
- A scheduled pause built into the mediation timeline
- The point at which a mediator formally recommends arbitration
Correct answer: The minimum acceptable outcome below which no deal is preferred
A reservation point (walk-away point) is the least favorable terms a party will accept before preferring their BATNA.
Question 4: In executing a conflict resolution strategy, 'sequencing' refers to:
- Ranking grievances by severity before any discussion begins
- Ordering agenda items and interventions to build momentum toward resolution (Correct answer)
- Assigning numerical scores to each party's position
- Documenting each session in chronological order
Correct answer: Ordering agenda items and interventions to build momentum toward resolution
Sequencing involves deliberately ordering issues and process steps so that early successes create goodwill and momentum for harder topics.
Question 5: Which tactic would MOST undermine a well-crafted strategic conflict plan?
- Allowing parties to caucus privately
- Revisiting the plan after each session
- Rigidly following the original plan despite changed circumstances (Correct answer)
- Identifying shared interests early
Correct answer: Rigidly following the original plan despite changed circumstances
Rigid adherence to an original plan when conditions have changed prevents adaptive responses and can derail resolution efforts.
Question 6: A Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA) exists when:
- Both parties have identical interests and goals
- The range between each party's reservation points overlaps (Correct answer)
- A neutral third party proposes a binding compromise
- All emotional barriers to agreement have been removed
Correct answer: The range between each party's reservation points overlaps
ZOPA is the overlap between the highest a buyer will pay and the lowest a seller will accept, or more broadly between each side's walk-away points.
Question 7: When a conflict manager conducts a 'conflict audit' in the planning phase, the primary goal is to:
- Assign blame for the dispute to one party
- Assess the nature, scope, and root causes of the conflict systematically (Correct answer)
- Create a legal record for potential litigation
- Determine the financial cost of the dispute
Correct answer: Assess the nature, scope, and root causes of the conflict systematically
A conflict audit systematically gathers and analyzes data about the conflict's history, parties, issues, and context to inform strategy.
CCM Strategic Planning & Execution 2
During strategic conflict planning, a BATNA is best described as: