Conflict Be Gone! Navigating Difficult Conversations

Course Length: 6 hours (1 day)
Conflict is a normal part of relationships. It’s not possible for everyone to agree on everything all the time, and to do so can squash creativity and innovation.

In this course, participants will learn how to manage difficult interactions and aim for mutual respect and agreement. By learning skills to navigate difficult conversations, you can communicate with confidence, seeking the win-win solution and keeping your personal and professional relationships strong.

Learning Objectives:
During this workshop, you will learn how to:

• Demonstrate a confident approach to difficult conversations, balancing emotions and rationale.
• Understand emotional triggers and how they affect behaviours.
• Demonstrate skill in the way they communicate.
• Apply techniques that lead to collaboration and build trust.

Target Student:
Everyone in the workplace who interacts in any way with others will have to deal with conflicts at some time. All employees and leaders must cope with this challenge, and all will benefit from learning and applying the strategies in this course.

Leaders, managers, and their teams spend a significant amount of time handling conflicts in the workplace. Those in a leadership role will find this course particularly beneficial, as they will learn how to help themselves and others turn difficult situations into opportunities for growth.

Course Outline
This is an experiential session; please be prepared to participate and practice the skills you need to feel confident and clear when navigating difficult conversations.

Participants will practice and understand how to navigate difficult conversations.

Start a conversation without defensiveness.

A win-win mindset.

Build awareness for what was said and more importantly that was NOT said.

Understand that emotions or feelings get in the way - ours and others.

How to move from emotion to productive problem solving or even dialogue.

Section 1: Start with Creating Safety
Different ways to open
How to start a conversation without defensiveness

Section 2: Communication Styles and Conflict Outcomes
Identify your style and how you relate most often
Help gain a better understanding of yourself and others
Improve your communication with others who have different styles

Section 3: Win-Win Intention
Understand the value in one another’s goals
How to collaboratively reach a resolution
Mutual respect

Section 4: Clues and Cues
Learn to listen and look for what is and isn’t said
How self-talk gets in our way
How can you manage fight or flight?

Section 5: Manage the Emotions and Motivations
Listen for accuracy, not assumptions
Ask open questions that explore and create dialogue
Understand the different ways to use empathy
Explore motivators and needs

Workshop Wrap-Up
Ask questions and fill out an action plan
Final skills review

This Course Comes With

Printed Manual A printed and bound paper manual for use during your class and future reference

Customize Your Course

Tailored Training Your manual will follow a standard course outline but your class can be tailored to focus on the subjects that are most important to you