Overview:

The journey from conflict to connection and collaboration involves shifting from a defensive, adversarial mindset to one focused on mutual understanding and shared goals. It requires managers and employees to become skilled at emotional intelligence, communication, and trust-building.

Traditional views often frame conflict as a contest with winners and losers. This competitive mindset can lead to short-term victories but long-term resentment.

The modern collaborative approach reframes conflict resolution as seeking a “win–win” outcome where both sides’ needs are acknowledged and addressed.

This requires creative problem-solving, openness to compromise, and a willingness to see the other party as a partner rather than an opponent. You will learn these skills in this program. Sign up today.

Why you should Attend: When individuals learn to reframe conflict as an opportunity for growth, the very tensions that once divided them can become the forces that unite them. In this way, conflict becomes not an obstacle to be avoided, but a catalyst for deeper relationships and better outcomes.

Even though studies vary in the stated amount of time individuals spend in conflict and misunderstanding, statistics show that managers can spend 18-35% of their time in conflict resolution per week. This is a huge investment of time, the equivalent of many millions of dollars of payroll in moderate-sized to large organizations. Any significant improvement in the efficiency of conflict management by surfacing conflicts quickly and directly and settling them cleanly will produce productivity gains that far outweigh the cost of most conflict management programs.

But conflict management is about more than just saving time. Most organizational conflicts involve disagreements over task-related matters, with people bringing diverse perspectives, information, and expertise to bear on an issue. Too often, some key input is suppressed or ignored, or the conflict leads to deadlock and inaction.

Poorly managed task-related conflicts can easily become personal, generating resentment, antagonism, and hostility. These “emotional” conflicts interfere with work relationships, create stress, polarize teams, and are a major factor in absenteeism and voluntary turnover.

When conflicts are handled constructively, in contrast, these diverse inputs are likely to be considered on their merits and incorporated into better, more innovative decisions.

Agenda: Here is an outline of what you will learn in this instructive 4-hour session.

Session 1 (45 min) The Ubiquity of Conflict

Through the discussion in this module, you will learn to:

• Recognize why conflict is a natural and inevitable part of human interaction
• Identify common sources of conflict “crashes” in relationships and workplaces
• Understand the difference between destructive and constructive conflict
• See how unmanaged conflict impacts trust, morale, and productivity
• Distinguish the conflict caused by vertical vs. horizontal thinkers
• Isolate behaviors of personality types that cause conflict

Session 2 (50 min) The Shift from Win–Lose to Win-Win

Traditional views of conflict often frame it as a contest with winners and losers. This competitive mindset can lead to short-term victories but long-term resentment.

In this module you will learn how to:

• Interpret the Kilmann Conflict Mode into useful behaviors
• Analyze blame vs. contribution in difficult situations
• Address the needs, concerns, and perspectives of others
• Initiate a difficult conversation in a non-combative way
• Use the “Third Story” or the opinion of a mediator effectively
• Acknowledge the truth in each opinion

Session 3 (60 min) Communication as the Core Factor

The majority of workplace conflicts are rooted not in the actual issues at hand, but in miscommunication or poor communication habits. Differences in communication styles such as direct vs. indirect or detail-focused vs. big-picture, can create misunderstandings that spiral into full-blown disputes.

In this module you will refine communication skill and learn how to:

• Use active listening skills
• Ask clarifying questions
• Show empathy for others
• Resolve disagreements before they become conflicts
• Replace negative words with positive words
• Read and respond to body language
• Use an effective problem-solving model

Session 4 (45 min) Build Openness into the Culture Where Employees Have Learning Conversations

Collaboration doesn’t mean the absence of disagreement-it means a commitment to work through differences together. In a collaborative, open culture, people approach conflict with curiosity rather than defensiveness, asking, "What can we learn from this?" rather than, "How can I prove I’m right?"

In this module you will learn how to:

• Reframe or translate what others say into concepts that are helpful, not hurtful
• Work from observable facts, not opinions
• Use an effective problem-solving model
• Ensure psychological safety in discussions
• Practice emotional intelligence
• Implement a mindset that encourages transparency

Who Will Benefit:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
• Chief Operating Officer (COO)
• Executive Director
• Vice President of Operations
• General Manager
• Human Resources Manager
• Department Manager
• Team Leader / Supervisor
• Project Manager
• Program Director
• Training and Development Manager