Is there an elephant in your office? Too often, workplace conflict is ignored or unaddressed, which can have significant negative consequences for your organization. Workplace conflict can have emotional and financial costs to you and your team. Modern stressors, including remote work, present unique challenges, and new potential for conflict for employers and work teams. This training provides concrete skills and practice that you can use in your organization to improve communication, enhance relationships, manage conflict, and prevent escalation in any setting. This training is ideal for managers and team-members in collaboratively oriented workplaces. The Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County has provided facilitation, communication, and conflict-resolution training for over 30 years. Our vision helps create a thriving and peaceful community where individuals actively use effective and respectful communication skills to live, work, and play together.  

Performance Objectives: Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Use new skills and practices for conflict-resolution
• Identify a current conflict and apply conflict-resolution best practices in a scenario
• Describe differences in conflict styles and how they impact coworker interactions.
• Develop an Action Plan for navigating your next conflict 

Competencies Covered:

• Learners self-assess their conflict style and compare the benefits and barriers of each style.
• Students learn and practice communication skills (e.g., awareness, active listening, clarifying, summarizing).
• Learners discuss theory of conflict and how culture impacts our experiences
• Learners practice the knowledge and skills learned and develop a real scenario and action plan. Learners roleplay this scenario and plan with the group to receive feedback, perspective, and collective wisdom for navigating conflict.