Motto: "Whatever."
The accommodating style is one of sacrifice, selflessness and low assertiveness. You are willing to give up just about everything in order to preserve the relationship with the other party. It is certainly reasonable to use this strategy when the issue at hand is something of little importance to you. If you are trying to pick a movie to watch, and you really don't care, it's fine to say 'Whatever you want is ok with me'. Or maybe you want to build up credit for accommodating that you might use later. (This technique can backfire if you end up with a reputation for not standing your ground. Use this strategy carefully.)
Two other times when an accommodating strategy can be appropriate: (1) if you are a manager and want your subordinates to take on responsibility and learn from their own mistakes, and (2) when you are hopelessly outmatched in power and the other side is using a competing strategy and you are going to lose anyway.
It is possible to overuse this strategy, however. If you feel that your concerns are never acknowledged and your opinions are ignored, you may be too accommodating.
If you scored high on Accommodating:
- Focus on learning collaborative approaches to conflict resolution and negotiation.
- Practice being assertive by saying "My needs aren't being met."
