Conflict management, or conflict resolution, is one of the most frequently-requested topics in corporate training. That’s no surpise. Not only is it extremely costly to organisations but it is also very common. In fact, it’s inevitable.
Workplace teams are dynamic. Things happen. Stuff comes up. So when you have a mix of ideas, opinions, skill sets, cultures, personal histories, and individual moods on any given day, conflict can easily present itself and throw a spanner in the works.
And it’s a huge spanner. A famous study in the US reported that each week, employees spend an average of 2.8 hours dealing with some form of conflict or disagreement. That equates to around $359 billion per year in paid hours. And let’s not forget about the higher staff turnover, presenteeism, absenteeism, and individual stress, depression and disrupted sleep. The total cost of impaired performance and decreased productivity is immense.
What often happens is that teams try to ignore conflict. They hope it will go away. This is rarely the case. It will bubble away under the surface.
High-performing teams will face it. Passionate and dedicated team members who care about their company’s best interests will always advocate for their own opinions. Armed with conflict management skills though, these teams can successfully turn these disagreements into opportunities for growth.
Nobody likes heated arguments and personal insults. We all want to avoid that. Even if it sometimes looks like a particular individual is actively trying to be awkward!
The skills presented in this workshop will help team members navigate their way through conflicts and disagreements towards the overall best solution, regardless of whose side that falls on. But it does require understanding, patience and maturity. Honestly, it’s not easy when emotions are running high. We are all human. But you don’t have to be a Zen monk to pull it off.
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