How You Handle Conflict (TKI)

What the TKI measures

Conflict is not inherently bad; it is necessary for progress. The failure of most teams lies in their inability to handle conflict productively. The TKI model posits that in conflict, a person is managing two independent drives: the drive to satisfy their own concerns (Assertiveness) and the drive to satisfy the other person's concerns (Cooperativeness).

The dimensions it assesses

• Competing (High Assertive, Low Cooperative): The "Shark." Win/Lose orientation. Uses power, rank, or arguing skills to win at all costs. Good for emergencies, terrible for morale.
• Accommodating (Low Assertive, High Cooperative): The "Teddy Bear." Lose/Win orientation. Sacrifices their own needs to keep the peace and please others. Good for minor issues, leads to deep resentment over time.
• Avoiding (Low Assertive, Low Cooperative): The "Turtle." Lose/Lose orientation. Sidesteps, delays, or entirely ignores the conflict. Good for de-escalation, terrible for resolving core problems.
• Collaborating (High Assertive, High Cooperative): The "Owl." Win/Win orientation. Dives deep into the conflict to find a creative solution that fully satisfies both parties. Highly effective but incredibly time-consuming.
• Compromising (Moderate Assertive, Moderate Cooperative): The "Fox." Splits the difference. Both parties give up a little bit to reach a fast, acceptable middle ground. Good for quick deadlines, but leaves no one fully satisfied.

What to do with your result

1. The Competing Manager: If a leader defaults to Competing, they will get rapid results in a crisis, but their team will eventually stop sharing ideas because they know they will get steamrolled. The manager must learn to consciously shift to "Collaborating" when long-term buy-in is required.
2. The Accommodating Resentment Trap: Those who score highest in Accommodating pride themselves on being "easy to work with." However, because they constantly sacrifice their own needs, they eventually burn out and explode in a sudden, seemingly unprovoked fit of rage (acting out of character). They must learn that asserting boundaries is not "mean."
3. When to use "Avoiding": Avoiding is usually viewed negatively, but it is the correct strategy when emotions are too hot to have a productive conversation, or when the issue is trivial and not worth the damage a fight would cause.

Common questions about the TKI

What does the TKI measure?

Measurement of an individual's default behavioral response to conflict situations along two distinct axes: Assertiveness and Cooperativeness.

Can the TKI diagnose me?

No. How You Handle Conflict (TKI) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. It describes tendencies rather than diagnosing anything, and no result here is a condition or something to fix.

Is this TKI test really free?

Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.

Are my answers stored or shared?

No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.

How often should I retake the TKI?

Traits and preferences move slowly, so retaking this every few months is more informative than retaking it often. Larger shifts usually follow a genuine change in circumstances.

How accurate is the TKI?

Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.

Why can I not take the TKI here?

Commercial instrument sold per administration. We will not reproduce a questionnaire we have no right to reproduce, so this page explains what it measures instead. The Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory or an original conflict-style scale built on Blake-Mouton theory.