A conflict has developed among two project team members. The project manager reiterates the areas of agreement and avoids the areas of disagreement. Which of the following BEST describes this…

Smoothing, also called accommodating, involves highlighting shared interests and common ground between conflicting parties while deliberately setting aside the points of contention. The question explicitly states the PM reiterates agreement and avoids disagreement, which matches this definition precisely. It does not resolve the underlying conflict but reduces immediate tension.

Compromising requires each party to give up something to reach a middle-ground solution, which is not described here since no concessions are being made.

Avoiding means withdrawing from the conflict entirely or postponing dealing with it, whereas smoothing still actively engages by emphasizing positives.

Negotiating involves a structured dialogue where parties work toward a mutually acceptable resolution, which goes beyond simply restating areas of agreement.