Understanding and Resolving Conflict: A Competency-Based Approach that Integrates Conflict Management, Influencing and Negotiating, and Interpersonal . Workbooks for Structured Learning)

Winner 2022 Global Book Awards: BRONZE / Organizational Learning

Resolving conflict is every leader’s job!

According to studies, 24 to 60 percent of management time and energy is spent dealing with workplace conflicts. These conflicts can lead to decreased productivity, increased stress among employees, higher turnover, absenteeism, and at their worst, to violence and death in the workplace (Fiore, 2009).

Interpersonal conflict is inevitable in the workplace. In your leadership role, you must know how to handle conflict you are involved in and how to mediate conflict among employees. While some conflict can lead to positive results, for example, sparking creativity or uncovering new ideas, you must watch that well intentioned debate does not erupt into a negative situation.

Here we review the causes of interpersonal conflict, examine the conflict resolution process, and discuss some beneficial ways of managing conflict. You will learn how what you do affects the behavior of your team and how you can prevent many arguments by being proactive. We focus on interpersonal conflict, but much of the information applies to other types of conflict as well. We also provide learning activities, so you can practice your skills.

This competency-based workbook provides a roadmap to help you apply what you learn. After completing this workbook, you will be able to:

• Define conflict and how to recognize typical causes of conflict in the workplace.
• Work through the stages of conflict resolution and have guidelines for each stage.
• Mediate conflict between team members.
• List and describe conflict resolution behavior supportive of positive resolutions and behavior that is not.
• Manage the Interaction stage of conflict resolution, including how to respond to negative emotions and how to handle your emotions.

10 Key Concepts to Master

1. Assess Positive and Negative Workplace Conflict
2. Explore Causes of Interpersonal Conflict in the Workplace
3. Encourage a Positive Environment
4. Identify Conflict Resolution Stages and Styles
5. Analyze and Plan Before Acting
6. Mediate and Resolve Conflict
7. Recognize Supportive and Non-Supportive Behavior
8. Manage the Interaction Stage of Conflict Resolution
9. Maintain Emotional Control
10. Build Your Conflict Resolution Skills

Structured Learning

All our workbooks align with our research-based Competency Model. The model, which is rooted in work by the U.S. Department of Labor and others, gives you a framework for structured learning by helping you identify and develop specific competencies.

Competencies are sets of skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that are observable and measurable. Our model has 35 competency dimensions associated with successful performance in leadership and professional roles. Competencies are clustered into five domains that may overlap.

This Understanding and Resolving Conflict workbook focuses on the competency areas of Conflict Management, Influencing and Negotiating, and Interpersonal Relationship Building. The content is primarily associated with the Supervisory/Management competency cluster or domain. For more information or visit: www.centrestar.com
Best of all? You can take any course:

• Online at your own pace through Centrestar and earn CEUs or PDHs: www.centrestar.com
• Select workbook materials through Amazon and conduct your own customized inhouse training
• Arrange to have any or all sessions instructor led via remote platform for your organization by the Pennsylvania College of Technology: call: 570.327.4775 or email: workforce@pct.edu