The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI®)

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI^®) helps individuals and teams engage in productive discussions about conflict. It provides an understanding of different conflict management styles and their impact on interpersonal and group dynamics, and how to choose the best approach for any situation to create more positive outcomes.  

The TKI assessment identifies an individual’s typical response to conflict situations using one or more of five conflict-handling modes, or styles: competing, accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, and compromising. These modes reflect varying levels of assertiveness and cooperation. By learning the conflict-handling modes and identifying which ones they tend to use (and over/underuse), people can choose the best mode for any given situation. 

ASSESSMENT SCALES 

The TKI examines five conflict-handling modes, based on where individuals score on the dimensions of assertiveness and cooperativeness: 

• Competing – assertive and uncooperative 

• Collaborating – both assertive and cooperative 

• Compromising - intermediate assertiveness and cooperativeness 

• Avoiding – unassertive and uncooperative 

• Accommodating–unassertive and cooperative 

AREAS OF APPLICATION 

The TKI can be used for the following purposes: 

• Conflict management - to identify different conflict-handling styles and to learn how to choose the appropriate style for any situation 

• Team building - improves team functioning by helping members reconcile differences and work together more effectively 

• Leadership development -enhances leaders’ conflict management skills 

• Performance improvement -helps eliminate barriers to effective performance 

• Stress reduction - gives employees the capacity and tools to identify and manage workplace stress 

• Retention - helps employees be successful, improve morale, and stay engaged, in order to build a stronger organisation and retain the best talent 

REPORT OPTIONS 

• The Profile and Interpretive Report provides a graphic presentation as well as detailed discussion on the person’s scores around the five ‘conflict handling modes’.  Each mode description also provides a section for the candidate on “Questions to Ask”, aimed at assisting the client with self-exploration. 

• The 21-page Team Report helps teams understand how the conflict-handling modes affect interpersonal and group dynamics, and how to select the most appropriate approach for a given situation.