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The CDP® was developed based upon the Dynamic Conflict Model. The
starting point for the model is a precipitating event -- something
that sets the stage for a conflict to develop. This event could be
anything: a single behavior by another person which is upsetting or
frustrating, a long-standing set of issues between people, a
difference of opinion about strategy or tactics in the
accomplishment of some business goal, and so on. The precipitating
event can be anything that places the interests of individuals in
opposition to one another.
The presence of a precipitating event sets into motion the dynamics
of conflict, but the end result of that process is still to be
determined. One of the biggest influences on how things unfold will
be the behavioral responses of the people in the conflict. That is,
how an individual responds to conflict can determine whether a
conflict becomes focused on problem solving or focused on
personalities. Constructive responses have the effect of not
escalating the conflict further. They tend to reduce the tension
and keep the conflict focused on ideas rather than personalities.
Destructive responses, on the other hand, tend to make things
worse; they do little to reduce the conflict and allow it to focus
on personalities.
Responses to conflict also differ in terms of how active or passive
they are. Active responses are those in which the individual takes
some overt action in response to the conflict or provocation. Such
responses can be either constructive or destructive; what makes
them active is that they require some overt effort on the part of
the individual. Passive responses, in contrast, do not require much
in the way of effort from the person. In fact, they typically
involve the person deciding to refrain from some kind of action.
Again, passive responses can be either constructive or destructive;
that is, they can make things better or they can make things worse.
Given, then, that responses can be either constructive or
destructive, and either active or passive, we view responses to
conflict as falling into one of four categories:
Active-Constructive, Passive-Constructive, Active-Destructive, and
Passive-Destructive.
Behavioral responses to provocation, which can determine whether
the potential conflict evolves in either the task-focused or
person-focused direction, can also play a role later in the
conflict sequence. For example, a situation can begin as a
task-focused conflict centered on some non-personal issue with
controllable levels of arousal, but destructive responses during
this phase could change the direction of this sequence and lead to
a person-focused conflict instead. Alternatively, it is possible
that a dispute that started out focused on personalities could be
"reined in" by careful behavioral work, and transformed into a less
destructive task-focused conflict.
Another important feature of the Dynamic Conflict Model is the
concept of Hot Buttons -- those situations and individuals that are
annoying, frustrating or upsetting. An individual's Hot Buttons can
be thought of as the kinds of people or behaviors that are
especially likely to serve as precipitating events for that person.
When pushed, Hot Buttons can provoke one into starting or
escalating a conflict. The "hottest" Hot Buttons (that is, those
that are most upsetting) will be the ones most likely to evoke a
quick and automatic set of destructive responses, while the
"cooler" Buttons are more likely to evoke a mixture of responses
that include some constructive behaviors. By understanding and
examining the links between provocation and response, it becomes
easier to control one's behavior.
Graphic of the Dynamic
Conflict Model
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