The Conflict Resolution Toolbox, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER ELEVENMODEL #8: THE SOCIAL STYLE¹ MODEL

BACKGROUND OF THE SOCIAL STYLE MODEL

One of the most common framings of conflict is the ubiquitous “personality conflict.” Personality conflicts seem to abound, yet there is very little consistency or common understanding about what personality conflict is or what should be done about it. There are a wide variety of models that attempt to assess different personality traits and give guidance on what can be done about the different personalities that are encountered in the world. Most of these models tend to be focused on the idea of communication styles.

Communication, and the quality of our communication processes, are central to the experience of conflict. For conflict practitioners, therefore, having a workable model to assist with personality and communication issues is important.

The most commonly known and referenced system for assessing personality traits is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)². Much has been written on the Myers-Briggs model; hundreds of thousands of people have taken the MBTI assessment, creating a large database of statistical trends and analysis.

There is one significant drawback to using the MBTI system as a conflict practitioner, however: The MBTI model is based on how a person internally approaches processing and communicating information, and these internal processes are extremely hard to observe. The most common way MBTI is used is to have individuals fill out the MBTI assessment tool (a type ...