Program Overview
There’s a reason for all the headache and stomach medicine ads airing on television at dinner time each week night. In this face-paced, stressful age, few workplaces are free of conflict, and sooner or later, it takes a toll--physically, emotionally, financially. In this hands-on course, participants will learn the causes for conflict, preventive measures to keep it from occurring, steps to resolve it once it has materialized, and resources to use when all else fails.
Program Objectives
At the program’s conclusion, participants should be able to:
- Identify factors that create conflicts in the workplace.
- Understand four basic behavioral styles and know how to adjust to each for conflict prevention.
- Appreciate how cultural and background diversity affect interpretations of situations.
- Exercise listening skills taught in the program to improve the chances for open communication.
- Evaluate conflicts to determine if they can be resolved.
- Implement a procedure to resolve problems that have viable solutions.
- Seek third-party facilitators when solutions are not readily available.
- Practice stress-reduction techniques presented in the program to maintain focus and balance in their workplace
The following outline highlights some of the course’s key learning points. As part of your training program, we will modify content as needed to meet your business objectives. Upon request, we will provide you with a copy of participant materials prior to the session(s).
Course Outline
Why the Waters Get Rough: Factors that Create Workplace Conflict
In this opening discussion, participants will explore multiple causes for workplace dissention. From seemingly slight irritations to more serious issues, the range of topics will show participants that small problems left unaddressed can escalate quickly into full-scale hostility or worse. In addition to identifying some of the causes, they will also consider the potential consequences—individual and organizational—that are possible when problems are not resolved.
Who’s On Board?: Understanding Behavioral Styles
In this unit, participants will be introduced to Business Training Works’ signature diagnostic tool, The Communication Jungle, with which they will learn to identify their own behavioral styles, those of their coworkers, and how to adjust for better communication. Knowing the differences is beneficial to all who hope to prevent, pre-empt, or conquer workplace conflict.
Different Folks, Different Strokes: Understanding Cultural Variety
In addition to behavioral styles, people vary in how they perceive situations based on their backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. In this portion of the training, participants will discuss situations in which conflicts might arise as a result of cultural expectations and differences. They will also learn ways in which to anticipate problems stemming from such differences to keep conflicts from occurring.
Taking the Helm: Effective Listening Strategies for Better Understanding
In this component, participants will discover how listening is a powerful means of preventing conflicts. Through the use of hands-on exercises, they will see that being silent while others speak is often the most crucial step in pinpointing the causes for workplace difficulties. By engaging in listening activities, they will see how body language as much as verbal language can be used to put others at ease, convey empathy, and pave the way for honest communication.
A Mutiny in the Making?: Sizing Up the Situation
Is a conflict real or imagined? Large or small? Solvable or hopeless? In this segment, participants will look at specific situations that are potentially conflict inducing and evaluate each to determine the degree of severity. They will also discuss possible solutions.
Charting the Course: Steering Toward a SafeHarbor
Once participants have had the opportunity to evaluate situations to determine how serious they might become, they will practice a procedure for conflict resolution. Using a combination of role playing and case studies, they will implement strategies and receive feedback on their attempts at solving specific conflicts.
When You Run Aground: Help on the Horizon
Despite careful planning and skillful intervention, participants will learn that there may still be times when steps toward resolving conflicts reach an impasse. It is at this point that the skills of a trained facilitator may be the ultimate answer to bringing the problem to an end. In this unit, the instructor will present situations in which a facilitator would be the best alternative for overcoming barriers that remain after all else has failed.
Smooth Sailing: Stress Reduction in the Wake of Workplace Conflict
The act of dealing with those who are in conflict with each other can take a toll on both an individual and organizational level. This final part of the training includes instruction in how participants can relieve work-related stress for the purpose of ensuring their own well being.
At the conclusion of this program, participants will have an understanding of factors that contribute to workplace conflict. They will know how to evaluate situations to determine how serious they are or might become, and they will know the procedure for conflict resolution and sources to contact should the procedure require third-party intervention.
