Management experts estimate that most supervisors and managers spend as much as a quarter or more of their valuable work time managing conflicts. Workplace conflict may be based on disagreements over work procedures, different needs and interests, clashes of personalities, or a range of other situations and circumstances that lead to confrontations between or among employees. When you know how to resolve workplace conflicts effectively, you can save time and turn potentially destructive situations into positive, productive opportunities for growth and development within your work group. Additionally, when you know how to build consensus among employees, you can enhance motivation and cooperation as well as create an atmosphere in which agreement generally prevails over conflict.
The main objective of this session is to help your managers and supervisors manage conflict and build consensus among employees successfully. This session helps trainees:
- Recognize the impact of workplace conflict;
- Identify common causes of conflict;
- Understand how positive communication helps prevent conflict;
- Resolve conflicts successfully; and
- Build consensus among employees.
Why “Conflict Resolution and Consensus Building” Matters:
When workplace conflict is well managed, it can have constructive outcomes.
Well-managed conflict can spark creativity and challenge employees to think about what they are doing and how they might improve methods and procedures.
When employees disagree about how things should be done, the debate can lead to better products and services for customers—and that can make for a more successful, competitive organization.
In an atmosphere that acknowledges and manages conflict effectively, healthy competition among employees can exist without becoming destructive.
In such an atmosphere, diversity can also flourish, and employees from different backgrounds can present and promote their ideas. All points of view can be heard and appreciated.
On the other hand, when workplace conflict is not well managed, it is likely to have a destructive influence. Poorly managed conflict among employees may lead to:
- Reduced productivity;
- Lower morale;
- Increased absenteeism, as employees seek to avoid a hostile and uncomfortable work environment;
- Greater turnover, as workers leave to find jobs in organizations where conflict is well managed;
- The “wildfire” effect, with one conflict leading to others and spreading out of control within groups and between departments; and
- An increased potential for violence.