Conflict is a part of daily life, and the ability to deal with it in a healthy and productive way is a vital skill in both the personal and professional realms. Unfortunately, most people are never trained in the art of conflict resolution. Disagreements occur at some point in everyone’s life, especially in professional settings with management or governing bodies. When conflict occurs, knowing how to resolve it can mean the difference between a broken relationship and thriving one.
Conflict Management Education
Most people have some form of conflict management education through life experience. Every child has arguments with friends and learns how to compromise (or not). Group projects in school focus on learning to work as a team and solve arguments in order to pass the assignment. Even though life teaches basic conflict resolution, sometimes disagreements between adults require additional steps to be resolved. This is especially true in the workplace, where disputes often involve a large number of people and bureaucratic departments.
In every corner of the world, conflict exists in some form. In some places, like Africa, it takes a violent turn, when disagreements between citizens and government result in riots and a militarised government. In other countries, like the United States or Australia, conflict can lead to employee strikes, government shutdowns or extended legal battles. One of the best solutions when conflict arises is to seek professional help from a neutral third party.
There are numerous companies that offer conflict management services, whether through formal mediation, training courses or a combination of both. Another useful service is personalised consulting, which is tailored to every situation and designed to reach an outcome favourable to all parties. Finding help in a disagreement is as easy as doing a web search for resources in your area. For example, looking up conflict management training in Melbourne would provide a list of companies dedicated to providing conflict resolution services in that part of Australia.
Detailed Training
Conflict management training can take several forms. Some firms work directly on each client’s disagreements and provide specific steps to resolve every issue. Others conduct seminars or interactive workshops that teach general solutions, like identifying problem areas and finding solutions for better outcomes. There are even certification courses designed to train professional mediators.
Conflict resolution isn’t always about a large or serious disagreement. Courses on providing better customer service focus on preventing disagreements from happening in the first place. One of the biggest advantages of formal conflict resolution training in a business setting is that it allows people from all levels of management to meet on equal terms and learn how to work together.
It’s not possible to prevent all conflict from occurring, especially in large organisations. However, with the right training, it is possible to provide every employee with the skills to resolve a conflict quickly. The best conflict resolution ends with both parties satisfied and an increase of trust on both sides.