Resolving Conflict at Work

The workplace is shaped by conflict between people - supervisors, managers and competing departments. Organisations pay a heavy price for these conflicts, as they often suppress the flow of useful information, productivity improvements and innovative problem solving. Leaders and managers have to listen and learn from conflicts in their team, department or organisation and become more adept at resolving them. Yet while most managers will experience a variety of conflict situations, few managers have the skills to understand the underlying causes and respond constructively. This workshop is designed to go further than removing conflict. It presents the skills to investigate the underlying causes, resolving them and using the information to improve personal and collective development.

Having completed this workshop the participants will:
• Improve their skills and become more effective at resolving conflict
• Understand the conflict process
• Develop a communication strategy
• Learn from other conflict situations
• Design their own strategy from a toolbox of techniques presented

Clarifying acceptable behaviour in the workplace
Sources of conflict
Your role in potential conflict
Acknowledging the organisational issues
Turf, silos and competition

Indentifying the early stages of conflict
Disengaging the fight or flight response
Separate the person from the problem
Changing the context of the conflict
War, journey or opportunity

Alternative responses to conflict
The language of conflict
How communication becomes distorted
Metaphors and hidden meanings

Building on common ground
Separating process from the content
Trusting building
Creating a boundary around the conflict
Stop rewarding conflict
Problem solving techniques