CF Conflict Management & Resolution 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A facilitator notices two participants have reached a stalemate because each insists on their original position. Which technique best helps move them toward resolution?
- Ask each party to restate the other's position accurately (Correct answer)
- Call a vote among all participants to decide the outcome
- Remove both parties from the session temporarily
- Ask a senior leader to make the final decision
Correct answer: Ask each party to restate the other's position accurately
Requiring each party to accurately restate the other's position builds empathy and often reveals misunderstandings that sustain the stalemate.
Question 2: In conflict resolution, 'interests' differ from 'positions' in that interests are:
- The specific demands stated by each party
- The underlying needs, desires, or concerns driving each party (Correct answer)
- The legal rights each party holds
- The compromise amounts each party is willing to accept
Correct answer: The underlying needs, desires, or concerns driving each party
Interests are the underlying motivations behind stated positions, and surfacing them opens more options for resolution.
Question 3: During a facilitated conflict session, one party becomes visibly angry and raises their voice. The FIRST action a facilitator should take is:
- Immediately end the session and reschedule
- Acknowledge the emotion and invite the person to take a short break if needed (Correct answer)
- Remind the group of ground rules and continue the agenda
- Ask the other party to respond to the outburst
Correct answer: Acknowledge the emotion and invite the person to take a short break if needed
Acknowledging emotion de-escalates tension and preserves psychological safety before addressing content.
Question 4: Which conflict resolution approach is MOST appropriate when a quick decision is needed and one party has clear authority?
- Collaboration
- Avoidance
- Accommodation
- Competition/directive resolution (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Competition/directive resolution
A directive approach is appropriate in time-sensitive situations where authority is clear and consensus is not feasible.
Question 5: A facilitator should avoid 'content ownership' during conflict sessions primarily because:
- It makes the session run longer than planned
- It shifts accountability for outcomes away from the parties (Correct answer)
- It violates confidentiality agreements
- It requires the facilitator to take written notes
Correct answer: It shifts accountability for outcomes away from the parties
Facilitators who own content reduce participants' ownership of the resolution, undermining commitment and follow-through.
Question 6: The term 'BATNA' in negotiation and conflict resolution stands for:
- Best Achievable Terms in Negotiated Agreements
- Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (Correct answer)
- Baseline Assessment of Trust and Neutral Advocacy
- Behavioral Approach To Neutral Arbitration
Correct answer: Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement
BATNA, developed by Fisher and Ury, represents a party's strongest option if no agreement is reached, informing their negotiation leverage.
Question 7: When parties in conflict have a long-term relationship that must be preserved, which resolution style is MOST recommended?
- Avoidance
- Competition
- Collaborative problem-solving (Correct answer)
- Compromise
Correct answer: Collaborative problem-solving
Collaborative problem-solving addresses both parties' interests fully and builds mutual respect, which is essential for ongoing relationships.
CF Conflict Management & Resolution 2
A facilitator notices two participants have reached a stalemate because each insists on their original position.
Which technique best helps move them toward resolution?