Management and Leadership

Productive Conflict

• Traditional Classroom: 1/2-day
• Virtual Instructor-led: One 3-hour session or Two 90-minute sessions

There are two types of workplace conflict: functional and dysfunctional. Functional conflict is valuable, productive, and healthy. This kind of constructive conflict is often driven by judgmental differences about how to achieve common objectives, and we want to stimulate it, as it leads to innovation, insight, and deeper, richer relationships.

Dysfunctional conflict, however, is stressful and harmful. It tends to focus on personal incompatibilities and disputes, and it rarely brings any benefit to the organization. If dysfunctional conflict isn’t handled properly, it can damage the emotional, psychological, and physiological health of anyone involved in — or impacted by it.

In this interactive session we will explore the many factors that contribute to how human beings respond to conflict. You’ll learn how psychological type impacts our choices in an emotionally charged situation, examining five approaches to handling conflict. You’ll also identify concrete action to increase self-awareness and your ability to regulate — and choose — your responses in a conflict situation.

Target Audience

Individuals who will benefit from this course include anyone at any level of the organization who is interested in gaining insight into the interpersonal drivers of conflict in order to better manage conflict.

Learning Objectives

• Enhance your ability to stimulate functional conflict and minimize dysfunctional conflict at work.
• Distinguish between functional and dysfunctional conflict.
• Identify real-life examples of both types of conflict at work.
• Describe five different approaches to managing conflict.
• Assess your personal response to conflict along a spectrum.
• Articulate concrete steps you can take to find your way to emotional “neutral” in order to have a productive conversation.

Course Outline

Conflict Basics

• What Is Conflict?
• Group Activity: How Do You React to Conflict?

Functional vs. Dysfunctional Conflict

• Differentiating Between Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict
• The Costs of Dysfunctional Conflict
• Class Activity: Examples of Functional Conflict

Thomas-Kilmann Model of Conflict Resolution

• Psychological Type and Conflict
• Thomas-Kilmann Model: Five Approaches
  • Video and Discussion: Identifying Your “Big Rocks”
  • Some Reasons Why We Procrastinate
  • Individual Activity: Setting Priorities
  • Task Decomposition
  • Accommodating
  • Compromising

Spectrum of Responses to Conflict

• From Silence to “Violence”

Getting to “Neutral”

• Group Activity: How to Find “Neutral”

Starting with Self

Summary and Action Planning

MDV4011-2 Course Code