Personal Effectiveness Conflict Resolution classroom

This course is only available as an in-house option.

Your projects depend on people to deliver successful results. Do you find yourself having to deal with:

Differences of approach, direction, ideas or thinking?
People with conflicting priorities?
Miscommunication and misunderstandings?
Clashes of personality or clashing egos?
Arguments and disagreements due to pressure?

All of these can lead to conflict and we don’t know when they may arise. This course provides all the understanding, skills and approaches you need to become comfortable with and resolve conflict in a project environment.

About the course

Conflict can lead to entrenched positions and/or emotional reactions. A key part of the role of project teams or project managers is to resolve, or preferably pre-empt and neutralise conflict. Developing those skills brings a much greater possibility of project success.

This course provides all the understanding, skills and approaches you need to become comfortable with and resolve conflict in a project environment

Learning objectives

Get an understanding of the nature of conflict
Identify and deal with behaviours that trigger conflict
Learn how to manage conflict appropriately, professionally and confidently
Use and practise a variety of proven conflict management tools and techniques

What's covered?

Timing and awareness

Noticing and addressing problems and conflict early
Avoiding crisis by early interventions
Convening a neutral meeting of the parties involved
Setting out positive intent prior to meetings/interventions
Drawing out the perspective and feelings of reluctant participants
Meeting with parties individually to identify grievances

Empathy and conciliation

Demonstrating an understanding of the feelings and needs of others
Non-judgmental assessment of situations and behaviours
Managing your expectations of others
Avoiding blaming, shaming and punishing
Identifying non-verbal cues indicating frustration and anger

Asserting appropriately

Asserting feelings without blaming
Identifying triggers to conflict
Modelling reasonable dialogue
Modelling respectful behaviour
Showing willingness to modify behavior

Negotiating for a positive outcome

Negotiation: what is it?
Negotiations: skills
Negotiations: process
Setting ground rules for productive dialogue
Listening without interruption as parties share their perspective
Identifying and matching ‘interest’
Compromising to accommodate others
Commitment to resolving problems
Creativity in problem-solving
Formalising an agreement between parties
Mediating

Problem-solving

Recognising the existence of a problem
5-stage problem-solving process including
Identifying the real problem
Setting criteria for a successful solution(s)
Brainstorming solutions that accommodate both parties
Avoiding assumptions and other barriers to solutions
De Bono’s Creative Thinking approaches

Actions and performance

Teaching alternative behaviours to avoid triggering conflict
Integrating goals for harmonious collaboration into performance plans

Managing consequences and outcomes

Designating sanctions for non-compliance with agreements
Monitoring compliance with agreements
Recognising improvements on the part of antagonists
Reconfiguring relationships and roles to avoid conflict-prone interactions

Target audience

Anyone who finds themselves in a position where they need to deal with conflict on a regular basis or is looking for help with a current workplace conflict situation.