Effective Ways of Resolving Everyday Workplace Conflicts

About the Course

This course offers practical strategies for addressing and resolving conflicts that naturally arise in professional environments. It emphasizes the importance of open communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills in transforming challenges into opportunities for growth. This approach helps individuals maintain positive relationships, foster collaboration, and create a more harmonious and productive workplace.

Interpersonal conflict occurs daily when:

we perceive that someone is impeding on or threatening our needs or goals

two or more persons seek to possess the same object, resource, position

people maintain incompatible goals, values or motives

Conflicts can be caused by differences in:

Information - do we have the same data?

Perceptions - do we see things from different         backgrounds & experiences?

Roles/priorities - do we have a different status or positions which causes us to take a different stand?

Relationships/assumptions - do we have the trust level needed to address the issue?

Conflict is a product of our uniqueness & so it is inevitable - its absence would be abnormal. Some kinds of conflict can contribute to the health & well-being of an organization. Other kinds of conflict can be detrimental to an organization and/or its employees

But a conflict is only one component of a relationship. Often, we are not in conflict with the other person but with that component. Success is addressing that component vs. attacking the other person or defending our ego.

Course Objective

Functional organizational conflict:

Is constructive, healthy & cooperative

Is when the parties are talking & focused on achieving a mutually acceptable outcome

Generates new perspectives & ideas

Allows options to be debated

Enables Individuals & teams to grow

A component of high-performing teams

During functional conflicts we feel:

Optimistic

Full of ideas

Heard

Valued

Trusted

Respected

Dysfunctional Organizational Conflict

Generates little if any benefit to the parties

Negatively impacts the well-being of the parties & organization

Hijacks time, energy & trust

During dysfunctional conflicts we feel:

Vulnerable

Angry

Frustrated

Anxious

Attacked

Stressed

Ineffective approaches to managing conflicts include:

Ignoring it & hoping it will go away

Not discussing the issues objectively

Premature judgments/conclusions

Using intimidation & inappropriate use of power

These ineffective approaches are triggered by four universal, instinctive responses to conflict:

Fight: confront the issue & stand our ground

Flight: run away & fight another day

Freeze: do nothing & wait to see what happens

Fall: yield & give in

However, effective leaders & negotiators know when & how to utilize each of five conflict resolution strategies:

Waiting & Avoiding – ‘The Turtle’

Accommodating – ‘The Teddy Bear’

Using Power – ‘The Shark’

Compromising – ‘The Fox’

Collaborating – ‘The Owl’

Who is the Target Audience?

SHRM & Management Associations, Any employee – manager or non-supervisory

Basic Knowledge

No prior knowledge is required