Many of the difficulties teams face (such as low morale, disputes, grievances, poor decision-making, low productivity, etc.) stem from two factors: low trust and fear of conflict. In this short webinar we discuss how teams can improve commitment, accountability, and performance by building trust and developing a conflict positive culture.

Our primary goal is to help delegates to:

• Improve their knowledge about the strategies, tactics, behaviours and processes that are available to manage conflict more confidently and productively.
• Demonstrate the core people, process and problem-related skills needed to do so.
• Provide a roadmap for organisations to develop a conflict positive culture and become conflict competent.

• Many organisations deal with conflict in a sub-optimal manner: they deny or avoid it, deal with it in a heavy-handed manner, or believe that conflict is something negative that should best be avoided.
• It is possible for all organisations and their employees to handle conflict more effectively and to reap the benefits of productive conflict.
• Before learning can happen, we first have to unlearn our mostly negative frame or assumption about conflict and the ineffective strategies, habits and behaviours we might be using that often lead to poor conflict outcomes. The right environment – or conflict culture – also needs to be created for employees to bring their conflicts into the open so that they can be dealt with at the earliest opportunity and as constructively as possible to prevent escalation.
• Discovering the three dimensions of conflict: People (Relationship) – the history of a relationship, presence or absence of trust, the influence of emotions, and parties’ behaviours; Process – the way the conflict is managed, including strategies such as avoidance, accommodation, compromise, collaboration, or competition and Problem (Substance) – the underlying needs, interests and concerns that shape parties’ positions.
• Conflict as a matter of choice and mindset: Whether conflict escalates or is engaged with constructively is not an automatic process – it flows from the mindset and assumptions of the parties to a conflict.
• Costs and risks of conflict: Conflict can produce extensive negative consequences across financial, relational, operational, and cultural dimensions. Conflict also carries hidden or latent costs, such as avoidance behaviours, lost trust, and employee disengagement that are less visible but equally costly.
• Potential benefits of conflict: Despite its risks, conflict, when skilfully managed, can stimulate positive outcomes such as innovation, improved decision-making, enhanced learning, and increased adaptability. Constructive conflict encourages diverse viewpoints, challenges groupthink, increases strategic flexibility, and can strengthen group cohesion under the right conditions. It can also surface previously hidden issues, motivating organisational improvement.
• Conflict and strategic decision-making: Diverse perspectives are essential for high-quality strategic decisions. Conflict, particularly task-related conflict, can improve analysis, broaden alternatives, and increase commitment to decisions, provided it does not escalate into relationship conflict. Overly suppressing conflict may create short-term harmony but risks poorer quality of decision-making.
• Getting the most out of conflict: The net effect of conflict depends largely on how individuals and organisations think about and respond to it. Managers who adopt collaborative approaches tend to foster more constructive conflict climates, leading to higher satisfaction, inclusion, and performance among employees.

PLEASE NOTE: No recordings available. Slides are available to attending delegates. Fees are charged per delegate and not per screen.