Navigating Beyond Conflict

The differences people bring to the workplace can promote tremendous creativity and innovation. Those same differences can also contribute to misunderstandings, which can lead to discord and, if left unresolved, dispute. In this course, learn how to effectively navigate beyond conflict to prevent damage from occurring.

Learning Objectives

  • Reduce the potential cost of conflict to yourself and your organization.
  • Minimize or prevent conflict by promoting a culture of trust, mutual respect and collaboration.
  • Make appropriate choices, both in words and actions, to direct situations away from possible damage and toward the discovery of new ideas and solutions.
  • Remove roadblocks to proactively taking action when the warning signs of conflict occur.
  • Successfully plan and conduct conflict resolution discussions.

Competencies

  • Managing conflict
  • Building strategic working relationships
  • Communication

Course Content

Conflict’s Destination - Damage or Discovery: Participate in simulations that demonstrate the effects of conflict on relationships. Work in groups to identify the causes, costs, and benefits of conflict on yourself, your team and the organization. Explore how conflict can escalate in stages from unresolved differences to discord to dispute, and continue to a list of signs that warn of escalation.

Preventing Escalation: Determine roadblocks to taking action to resolve conflict. Take a self-assessment that reveals your strengths and development areas in using the key principles in a conflict situation. The facilitator will discuss conflict crossroads, and volunteers will role-play a crossroads scenario, using key principles to defuse the situation.

Resolving Conflict – Work It Out: Watch a video of an ineffective approach to resolution, and then learn a better approach by working out the conflict using interaction process skills. View a positive model video of a conflict resolution discussion and discuss the skills that are used effectively.

Applying Your Conflict Resolution Skills: Reprise roles from the opening simulation and engage in two rounds of skill practicing, using discussion planners to conduct conflict resolution discussions. After each round, give each other feedback on your use of the skills. In teams, discuss how to address challenging conflict situations and share their ideas with the large group.

Removing Roadblocks and Setting Next Steps: Work in groups to formulate suggestions for overcoming another group’s roadblocks from earlier in the course. A group spokesperson will share the suggestions with the class. Determine your next steps for navigating beyond conflict in the future and building trusting relationships with colleagues.

Who should take this course?

  • Does conflict between employees go unaddressed?
  • Are valuable managerial resources being expended to resolve the conflicts of individual performers?
  • Is conflict affecting the productivity or morale of teams and work groups?
  • Is conflict being addressed inappropriately or ineffectively?

Course Information

Target audience: All employees, including frontline leaders

Course format: Classroom

Course length: 4 hours

Cost: $130 per participant for materials

Course is required for:

  • Interpersonal Skills Track

Prerequisites: Communicating for Leadership Success or Communicating With Impact

Pre-Work Required? No