Conflict Management

Understanding conflict and resolving disagreements with confidence at work and in life

Last updated 2022-01-10 | 4.3

- Students will be able to manage conflict situations more effectively and deal with anger and strong emotional responses in a constructive way.
- The vital keys to preventing escalation and dispute.
- How to turn potential flare-ups into constructive conversations.

What you'll learn

Students will be able to manage conflict situations more effectively and deal with anger and strong emotional responses in a constructive way.

The vital keys to preventing escalation and dispute.

How to turn potential flare-ups into constructive conversations.

Ways to engage with people who might become confrontational.

* Requirements

* There are no special requirements for taking this course
* anyone can do it.

Description

Conflict is inevitable. It is a fact of life and most people are afraid of it. But you don't have to be. Conflicts grow out of disagreement, or simply difference. This course will give you all you need to prevent or manage conflict, whether it involves you directly, or other people.

Conflict is immensely costly to organisations, damaging to relationships and disastrous for productivity. It might be an argument between a line manager and a member of their team, a personality clash between colleagues or even a power dispute between different departments. Wherever it arises, conflict is a major cause of stress in the workplace and it can lead to long-standing grievances, factionalism and absenteeism.

Confident conflict resolution skills will set you apart. Being able to handle conflict effectively, whatever the situation, is an ability that will help you to build strong, constructive working relationships and improve the overall performance of your team, group or department.

This course features easily learned tactics, clearly explained by Barry Winbolt, a trainer and mediator, based on his 30 years' experience of tackling workplace conflict in different settings and cultures.

In a series of engaging videos, he explains the pitfalls that cause conflict and the patterns that lead to escalation. He shows you how to avoid those frustrating cycles of argument and resistance. He then provides a comprehensive toolkit for creating positive outcomes through conversations that build trust rather than dividing people. He explains why early intervention is best, how to deftly handle disputes before they get out of control, and turn them into constructive conversations.

By the end of this course, you'll have a better understanding of conflict, which will reduce any uncertainty you may have in tackling it. It will place you ahead of the pack; positive conflict management skills are a key component of leadership.

This short course will give a better understanding of:

A framework for handling conflict and disputes with confidence
Patterns of conflict and how it escalates
How to stop a disagreement escalating into a dispute
When and how to intervene in a dispute between others
The key communication steps you need to resolve a conflict
How to avoid confrontation and deadlock
How to move from confrontation to constructive conversations.

Who this course is for:

Anyone who wants to learn how to turn potential conflicts into constructive conversations.
People who want to be more confident when dealing with conflict.
Managers who need to improve their conflict resolution skills.
Helping professionals who need to engage with clients and avoid confrontation.
Trainee mediators, conflict resolvers, arbitrators and lawyers.

Course content

5 sections • 27 lectures

Introduction to Conflict 4 lectures

Welcome and introduction Preview 04:32

Conflict is inevitable wherever people live, work, or otherwise come together. Learning how to manage disputes so that they don't erupt into conflict is a vital life skill.

Natural Conflict Resolvers Preview 01:49

The Dynamics of Conflict and Dispute Preview 03:13

Check your understanding of section 1 – Introduction to Conflict

How well have you retained the key points from this video lecture?

Models and Stages of Conflict and Dispute 5 lectures

The Conflict Spiral Preview 01:35

The Betari Box Preview 03:44

The Four Horsemen Preview 06:54

Stages on the route to conflict Preview 02:12

This lecture explains how you can use your experience of a conflict to develop your dispute management skills.

Every conflict has a trajectory, but often we don't see it. Understanding that conflict has a build-up will allow you to spot where you can intervene at an early stage.

Check your understanding of section 2 – Models and stages of conflict & dispute

Do you understand the contents of this lecture well enough to begin to use some of these ideas?

Stepping In 7 lectures

How Can You Calm Things Down? Preview 01:15

The lecture describes how two people in a dispute can begin to talk to each other without the heat of emotion getting in the way. It is a challenge to be able step back in order to re-engage with the other person in a different way. Learning how to diffuse a conflict takes presence of mind, self-control, and patience. It also requires practice to be able to remain calm and confident in the face of provocation.

The Conflict Triangle Preview 03:14

Understanding the 'Process' elements in a conflict, as distinct from the 'People' or 'Problem' aspects, can be one of the most important insights when learning to manage conflict. This lecture talks about how to use process constructively, rather than getting drawn into fruitless arguments about other aspects of the difference or disagreement.

Focus on Interests not Positions Preview 04:26

Positions are what people say they want, they tend to be firm and difficult to negotiate. But we take positions to fulfill our needs or interests. Peoples' positions tend to be unmovable and lead to deadlock.

By contrast, enquiring about interests helps move the discussion into more fertile areas. Do this by finding out what makes someone’s position necessary for them. The idea is not to force them to defend their position, but to understand what’s important to them, from their point of view.

Judgement or Curiosity? Preview 01:39

This lesson explains the importance of objectivity when discussions become tense. It may be instinctive to prepare for combat when we sense conflict arising, but there is strength – and greater control – in being able to adopt a less judgemental and more curious approach.

Building Rapport Preview 04:25

This lecture explains the importance of human rapport in finding compromise or agreement.

Rapport is a state of harmonious understanding that enables understanding and communication with another person or group. When people are 'on the same wavelength' they are generally in rapport. You can build rapport by emphasising similarities between yourself and others. Looking for shared interests and common ground is a key factor in successful negotiations around conflict.

Cooling a Dispute Preview 05:14

This lesson covers some recommended steps for cooling a dispute. This may not be easy when a dispute is heated, so you must 'tune in' to get the other person's attention. The key here is to remain calm. You may not be able to fully control the situation, but you can remain in control of yourself.

Check your understanding section 3 – Taking Control in a Dispute

How to Calm Things Down 6 lectures

The 'X-Y-Z' Formula Preview 03:01

When a situation could become inflammatory and you want to avoid that, consider the X-Y-Z Technique. This lesson explains this assertive technique for stating your position non-confrontationally.

Focus on the Relationship Preview 02:03

Conflict always happens in the context of a relationship. Therefore, attending to the quality of the relationship is paramount, particularly where a conflict or disagreement has been going on for some time. The aim is to strengthen the relationship so that you have a safer foundation for tackling the conflict without destroying the relationship.

Core Components of Understanding Preview 01:24

This lecture describes what is often called "the most important tool of conflict resolution". Disagreements often compel us to become insistent on putting our point across. It takes a conscious effort to step back, observe and listen. This also needs practice, to master a new and invaluable habit.

Equality of Voice Preview 01:09

Equality of voice means that the views of both speakers (or all speakers in multi-party disputes), are seen as equally valid. Though this may be difficult in some situations, but we communicate at our best when all views are seen as equally valid.

It is important to note that, accepting another point of view as valid does not mean agreeing with them. It is a mark of respect, and of sophistication to be able to demonstrate that you understand the importance of a speaker's opinion, and their right to hold it, without challenging or denying it.

Section 4 Summary Preview 01:39

Check your understanding of section 4 – How to Calm Things Down

Handling Yourself Around Conflict 5 lectures

Three Things to Remember about Conflict Preview 02:27

Understanding how to handle yourself and control your emotional responses is, arguably, one of the most important aspects of responding to conflict positively. This lesson covers the importance of 'separating the person from their behviour'.

The first step in the this process is monitoring and managing your emotional responses.

Steps to Managing Emotions Preview 07:41

Recognising that, when involved in a conflict, most of us have difficulty managing our emotional responses, this lecture explain some basic steps and adds some specific tactics to help you gain mastery of your emotions when tension arises.

The RISK Reminder Preview 02:34

The R-I-S-K mnemonic is a simple strategy for managing yourself, and the conflict resolution process, at the same time. By breaking the process down RISK provides points of focus that will help you build trust and maintain progress.

Course Summary Preview 04:07

Congratulations! You have arrived at the final lecture. This lesson captures the main points in the conflict resolution process as it has been covered in this course.

With this lecture, you'll also find an additional download and a reading list to accompany the course.

We hope you have found the course useful. Please remember to leave your feedback, and any suggestions you might have, as your opinions will help us maintain the quality of this and other courses.