STRUCTURE AND CONTENT for Conflict Management short course

Lessons: The course comprises 8 lessons as detailed, below.

1. Conflict Management and Anger

• What is Conflict?
• Conflict Handling Techniques.
• Conflict Handling Styles.
• Comparing Strategies to Handle Conflict.
• Scope and Nature of Anger.
• Approaches to Handling Anger.
• Anger Management Techniques.
• Dealing with Anger in Yourself and Others.

2. Listening

• Channels of Communication.
• Stages of Listening.
• Obstacles to Listening.
• Emphatic Listening.
• Ground Rules for Listening.
• Listeners in Control.
• Emotions.
• Traps for Listeners.

3. Negotiation

• Scope and Nature of Negotiating.
• The Establishment Group.
• The Community Group.
• Bargaining in Negotiations.
• Win-Win Bargaining or Integrative Bargaining.
• Being a Skilled Negotiator.
• The Joint Problem-Solving Approach.
• Writing a Brief.
• Guidelines.
• Negotiating Mistakes.
• Dealing with Difficult People.
• Finding a Solution.

4. Mediation

• What is Mediation?
• When is Mediation Called for?
• The Mediators Role.
• The Mediation Process.
• Teamwork.
• Mediation Model.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution.

5. Facilitation

• Nature and Scope of Facilitation.
• Preparing the Facilitation Meeting.
• Attributes of a Good Facilitator.
• Stress and the Fight or Flight Response.
• Symptoms and Effect of Stress.
• A Stress Management Response Program.

6. Balance of Power

• Problems with Negotiation.
• Problem of Re-entry.
• Balance of Power.
• Dealing with Power Imbalance.
• Verbal Bullying.
• Asking Questions.
• Information and Experience.
• Agenda Setting.
• Role Playing.
• Needs Exploration.
• Ending a Meeting.

7. Discussion and Group Work

• Group Conflict Management Exercises.
• Anger Exercises.
• Listening Exercises.
• Negotiation and Mediation Exercises.
• Joint Problem-Solving Exercises.
• Role Play Exercises.
• Conducting Structured Exercises in Small Groups.
• What to Avoid.
• Evaluation.

8. Crisis Analysis and Responses

• Nature and Scope of a Crisis.
• Response to Crisis.
• Guidelines.
• Interventions.
• Principles and Goals of Crisis Intervention.
• Crisis Intervention Techniques.
• Debriefing.

COURSE AIMS

• Describe the nature of human conflict and ways to manage it.
• Explain the importance of listening when dealing with conflict situations and appreciate different listening techniques.
• Define negotiation and discuss the process of negotiation.
• Define mediation and discuss the process of mediation.
• Define facilitation and discuss the process of facilitation.
• Discuss problems that may arise through negotiation, in particular, balance of power and its connotations.
• Explain the importance of working in groups as a means of learning how to deal with group conflicts.
• Explain ways of understanding and dealing with different types of crises.

WHAT YOU MAY DO IN THIS COURSE

Here are just some of the things you may cover:

• Different types of conflict handling styles.
• Dealing with Anger.
• Controlling listening and Traps for listeners.
• Emphatic listening.
• Negotiation between community and establishment.
• Practical suggestions for negotiation, breaking the rules, alternatives.
• Responsibilities of a mediator, mediation processes, agreements, teamwork, settling behaviour.
• Factors influencing the balance of power.
• Role play.
• Conducting structured experiences in small groups.

What Next?

Study Conflict Management to help you in your work, or in your workplace.

• Understand conflict and how to handle it.
• Learn about the processes of negotiation, mediation, facilitation, and more.
• Understand how to communicate and how to respond to a crisis.
• Improve employee morale.
• Create a better workplace.
• Deal effectively with conflict situations.
• Develop creative problem-solving techniques.