Communication Skills & Conflict Resolution Flashcards

A high-performing team suddenly shows signs of conflict after a new member joins. A CTC coach interprets this primarily as:

Answer: A normal team dynamic as the system adjusts to a new element

Systems thinking suggests that adding a new member disrupts equilibrium and that adjustment friction is a normal, temporary phase.

Which listening level, per the Co-Active Coaching model, requires a coach to attend to energy, emotion, and environmental cues beyond words?

Answer: Level 3 — Global listening

Level 3 global listening attends to everything in the environment, including tone, pace, body language, and what is not said.

A team experiences a conflict rooted in differing cultural norms around directness. The coach's most culturally competent response is to:

Answer: Help the team co-create norms that honor multiple communication styles

Co-creating norms acknowledges cultural diversity as a team asset and builds inclusive communication agreements.

The 'interests, rights, and power' framework for conflict resolution suggests that interest-based approaches are preferred because they:

Answer: Produce more durable, mutually satisfying outcomes

Interest-based resolution addresses root needs, which tends to produce outcomes both parties are committed to sustaining.

A team coach is facilitating a difficult conversation and notices rising tension in the room. The most effective immediate intervention is to:

Answer: Name the tension openly and invite the team to address it

Naming what is present (tension) without judgment makes it discussable and prevents it from derailing the dialogue.

When a team's conflict persists despite repeated coaching sessions, a CTC coach should consider that the conflict may be:

Answer: A symptom of a structural or organizational issue outside the team

Persistent conflict often signals systemic causes such as unclear roles, misaligned incentives, or organizational culture rather than purely interpersonal issues.

A team coach uses 'reframing' during a conflict resolution session. The purpose of reframing is to:

Answer: Offer an alternative interpretation that opens new possibilities

Reframing shifts the lens on a situation to reveal new options or reduce adversarial framing without dismissing anyone's experience.