Final answer:
Francois's approach to conflict management by downplaying the issue and telling the team to focus on work is known as the 'avoiding' strategy.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Francois deals with conflict by minimizing the importance of the issue and urging everyone to "just get back to work," he is employing the conflict management strategy known as avoiding. This approach is characterized by sidestepping the problem, often to maintain peace at the moment or because the issue is perceived as trivial or non-worthwhile to engage in further. It avoids confrontation and does not attempt to resolve the conflict, unlike other strategies such as compromising, which involves each party giving up some of their demands, or problem solving, which seeks to find a win-win solution.