Semi-Daily Scribbles

Compromising
Percentile: 87%
Range: High

Uses

You may be using this mode most frequently because of the circumstances you face. A group of company presidents identified the following situations as times when compromising is especially useful and effective:

When goals are moderately important but not worth the effort or the potential disruption involved in using more assertive modes.
When two opponents with equal power are strongly committed to mutually exclusive goals, as in labor–management bargaining.
When you want to achieve a temporary settlement of a complex issue.
When you need to arrive at an expedient solution under time pressure.
As a backup mode when collaboration or competition fails.

Compromising as a Style

Your frequent use of compromising may also be part of a compromising style you have developed to
deal with conflict. Styles are rooted in personal beliefs, values, and motives that “push” one’s conflict behavior in a consistent direction. Compromisers tend to see conflict as a chance to find a middle ground and an opportunity to make deals. They are flexible and believe in pragmatism—being reasonable about what is possible in a situation and avoiding extreme positions. When people are in conflict, compromisers believe they need to moderate their positions to find a workable agreement. They regard teammates as amicable negotiating partners. Compromisers value moderation, reasonableness, and pragmatism. They seek favorable settlements but use
exchange and reciprocity (soft bargaining) to achieve fairness—trading concessions, splitting the difference, giving and taking.*

* This style description is adapted with permission from Introduction to Conflict and Teams by Kenneth W. Thomas and Gail Fann Thomas
(Mountain View, CA: CPP, Inc., 2004).

Contributions of a Compromising Style

Compromisers provide a practical, pragmatic force for moderation. When competitors deadlock, compromisers suggest workable middle-ground positions. When collaborators are unable to find a winwin solution, compromisers suggest acceptable temporary solutions. A compromising style is helpful in finding fair, workable settlements. It puts less strain on goodwill than does a competitive style and takes less time than does a collaborative style.