Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Flashcards
7 cards from real Soft Skills - Communication practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Conflict Resolution and Negotiation flashcards as text
Which statement about conflict in teams is most accurate according to organizational research?
Answer: Task conflict can improve decision quality when managed well
Moderate task conflict — disagreements about work content — has been shown to improve decision quality by surfacing diverse perspectives.
A customer is furious about a product defect. To de-escalate, you should first:
Answer: Acknowledge their frustration and apologize for the experience
Acknowledging emotions first validates the customer's experience and lowers defensiveness before moving to problem-solving.
In negotiation, 'expanding the pie' refers to:
Answer: Identifying additional issues that allow both parties to trade gains
By adding more issues to the table, parties can trade across dimensions and both walk away with more value.
When you realize mid-conflict that you misunderstood the other party's position, the best action is to:
Answer: Acknowledge the misunderstanding and invite them to clarify their position
Openly acknowledging misunderstandings builds trust and resets the conversation on a more accurate foundation.
Which behavior signals bad faith in a negotiation?
Answer: Agreeing to terms verbally then repeatedly retracting them
Repeatedly retracting agreed terms is a classic bad-faith tactic that destroys trust and stalls negotiation progress.
Which communication approach is most effective when delivering difficult feedback that could cause conflict?
Answer: Describe the specific behavior, its impact, and the desired change
Specific behavior-impact-change feedback is clear, actionable, and less likely to trigger defensiveness than generalized or accusatory language.
A colleague responds to your conflict resolution attempt by shutting down and going silent. This is known as:
Answer: Stonewalling
Stonewalling — emotionally withdrawing from conversation — is a conflict response that blocks resolution and often signals emotional overwhelm.