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The Most Common Causes of Workplace Conflicts

Disputes happen in every organization and can be triggered by a wide variety of causes. Some of these include:

  • Different styles of communication

  • Misunderstandings & Misinterpretations
  • Conflicting Priorities
  • Competition Over Perceived Limited Resources
  • Resistance to Change

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Online Workplace Conflict Resolution Training

Tension and conflict between coworkers can make the workplace an uncomfortable and even toxic environment. While some conflicts are constructive and work themselves out quickly, others become ongoing battles that lower the morale and productivity of everyone around. Workplace conflict resolution training can help staff members at all levels improve their ability to communicate and to resolve conflict so that peace can be restored.

Peaceful Leaders Academy provides both instructor-led and asynchronous online training programs for managers, executives and employees. Having conflict management skills is imperative to maintain a healthy and productive work environment. It’s not uncommon for people to think they’re prepared to manage conflict only to find themselves faced with a situation that’s spiraling out of control.

The Cost of Unresolved Conflict

Some conflicts are obvious while others simmer for weeks or months while people are subjected to passive aggressive behavior or sarcastic comments. When conflict occurs and starts to intensify, it’s imperative to find a way to resolve it. Otherwise, they can cost your organization tremendously.

The negative effects of unresolved conflict can ripple through your department and maybe through your whole organization, affecting your workplace culture. It can create a toxic atmosphere and can be costly to an organization in ways that aren’t always recognized. The cost of conflict resolution training is considerably lower than the potential cost of unresolved conflict, which may include:

  • Mental health leave
  • Staff turnover
  • Absenteeism
  • Reduced productivity
  • Reduced collaboration
  • Damaged trust
  • Missed deadlines
  • Lapses of attention
  • Lawsuits

The bottom line is organizations can’t afford to allow conflict to stay unresolved. Maintaining a peaceful company culture requires intervention by management or human resources for any conflict that’s getting worse and not better. Workplace conflict resolution training prepares employees to manage current conflicts and can help to prevent future conflicts.

Benefits of Conflict Resolution Training

Organizations of all sizes can benefit from conflict resolution training, and this type of training can be done in person or online. Development of improved skills in the ability to resolve conflict in a timely and effective way has many benefits such as:

  • Improved communication skills
  • Improved listening skills
  • Improved ability to recognize a conflict before it snowballs
  • Improved workplace culture
  • Improved teamwork
  • Better professional relationships
  • Improved insights about coworkers and employees
  • Enhanced productivity
  • Improved customer experience
  • Ability to resolve problems before they begin or intensify

When your company develops a reputation as an organization with a positive and peaceful work environment, it can help you to attract top talent. While workplace conflict resolution training can be done either in person or online, virtual training programs are more practical for many companies. This approach takes less time out of the workday since traveling is unnecessary, which can save both time and money.

Customized Online Conflict Management Training

The workplace conflict management training provided by Peaceful Leaders Academy can be customized to fit the needs of your organization. Innovative strategies can be helpful for both staff and management. Participants learn valuable conflict resolutions skills and those in leadership learn to recognize the sources and causes of conflict as well as improving their ability to know when it’s time to intervene. Examples of topics that can covered in customized online conflict resolution training for the workplace include:

  • Explore different approaches to conflict resolution. There’s more than one approach to managing and resolving conflict and online training can help participants consider different ways to resolve disputes when they occur. It’s almost always better to confront a conflict rather than trying to ignore it.
  • Basic mediation. When others are in conflict, they often need an impartial third party to help them work through it. In online training, participants can learn what’s required when taking on the role of mediator.
  • Improving written and verbal communication skills. A frequent cause of conflict is misinterpreting written or verbal communication. People sometimes hear or read something that’s not what the other party intended. It’s important to pay attention to the words you choose both when speaking and when communicating in writing. Training can provide an action plan for improving communication skills so you can convey your messages with clarity and authenticity.
  • Picking up on nonverbal communication skills. Resolving conflicts requires paying attention to all the cues others are giving you. This includes not just the words they’re saying, but also nonverbal communication such as body language and facial expressions.
  • Active listening. An important skill to have when working through a conflict is the ability to listen and hear what others are saying. Active listening is a way of closely focusing on what’s being said and letting the person who’s speaking know you’re listening by giving signals such as nodding, smiling or asking clarifying questions. It also includes repeating back to the other person what you’ve heard to make sure there have been no misunderstandings.
  • De-escalation, including how to respond to turbulent emotions. When conflict occurs, emotions can get out of control. It’s important to know how to control your own emotions and how to remain calm when others are exhibiting turbulent emotions.
  • Handling difficult personalities. Some people seem to go out of their way to cause drama everywhere they go. They frequently blame others whenever something goes wrong and find fault with the work done by others. In workplace conflict resolution training, you can learn the skills needed to handle those that can be difficult.
  • Problem solving and finding common ground. Resolving any conflict depends on finding a solution that works for everyone. Improved problem solving skills can help you identify the common ground between people who are in the middle of a dispute.

These are just a few examples of how virtual training workshops can give participants the tools to view conflict in a strategic way. Online training is an effective way to improve skills in workplace communication and conflict resolution. Through online training, participants have the opportunity to learn new skills and to strengthen skills they already have without taking a lot of time out of their normal routine.

Why Choose Peaceful Leaders Academy?

Peaceful Leaders Academy offers dynamic, interactive workshops that can be geared to staff at all levels of your organization. Our online workplace conflict resolution training was created by experts in the field of conflict resolution and helps team members develop necessary competencies for managing and resolving conflicts.

When workplace conflict resolution training is provided to the entire team, it helps promote team building and strengthens relationships between colleagues, giving your company a better chance of preventing conflict before it develops. When disagreements do happen, staff members have the tools needed to handle the situation calmly.

Managing conflict successfully and finding a resolution is crucial to a peaceful work environment. Peaceful Leaders Academy has developed methods of training in conflict resolution skills that are proven to be effective. Reach out to Peaceful Leaders Academy to learn more about how we can help your organization learn to resolve disputes quickly and effectively and mitigate future disagreements.

Our Team

Jeremy Pollack, Ph.D.

Founder

Sara Jeckovich, M.A.

Program Director

Sherman Green, Ph.D.

Conflict Resolution Specialist

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What Our Clients Say

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Safa Harak

Project Manager,
Habitat for Humanity

“The program exceeded my expectations. The content was both holistic and specific, the coaches were knowledgeable and supportive, and the course materials were very useful and well-designed.”

Ayla Whittington

Creative Director,
Zen Media

“The content is structured in a way that is easy to understand and the frameworks they built make it memorable. Thank you for creating such an impactful course which has helped me build the foundation of my leadership style.”

Nicole Wingfield

RN Clinic Director,
So Others Might Eat (SOME)

“This course has made me more aware of my weaknesses and strengths as a leader. Most importantly, I’ve learned that leadership is something that will always need cultivating.”