Managing Conflict Proactively

Conflicts & TensionsCommunication & FeedbackAll employees≈ 15 min

Key skill: Conflict management & resolution

Summary

Spot the four reasons people run from conflict — denial, inhibition, fear of losing, the belief that things will sort themselves out — and gain concrete levers for handling each one before it festers.

Target audience

Anyone who needs to manage conflict

Learning objectives

Defuse conflict avoidance by separating the source of a conflict from its escalation
Move people out of denial by confronting them with the facts and helping them hear the emotions involved
Help inhibited people speak up by asking them open-ended questions
Help anxious people prepare a negotiation plan

Module outline

StorytellingWhen two pilots at odds become the driving force behind a major innovation: a conflict turned into an opportunity
ArticlesPatching things up isn't resolving them · The four conflict-avoidance factors and their solutions
Expert videoWhy it matters to separate the source of a conflict from its escalation, and understanding avoidance as a form of escalation
AnchoringA quiz and true/false questions to deepen the topic and anchor what you've learned
Memo cardA downloadable coaching memo card: the key takeaways from the expert video
CommitmentConcrete examples to help you define your own commitment

Models & methods

Four avoidance factors: denial, inhibition, fear of losing, naivety; a negotiation plan.

Research-based

Avoidance factors inspired by the work of Jean Poitras; in 95% of cases, avoidance reinforces the conflict.