HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict (HBR Guide Series)

CHAPTER 1

Types of Conflict

In the middle of a dispute, when your brain kicks into overdrive, you might be stuck wondering, Where did this conversation go wrong? or Why is my coworker so mad? It might feel as if your colleague is being unreasonable, that the situation is intractable, or that your relationship will never recover.

Uncovering what’s truly going on—what’s at the root of the disagreement—will help you set aside your emotional reaction and begin to solve the problem.

There are generally four types of conflict: relationship, task, process, and status (see table 1-1).

TABLE 1-1

Types of conflict

The common sources of conflict are neatly ...