Whether people sit and work side by side or have to collaborate from thousands of miles away, there will be misunderstandings, hurt feelings and conflict. In this course we explore some common reasons for workplace conflict and look at appropriate interventions and solutions to resolve them.

Some conflict is simple to resolve by understanding the impact your behavior or decisions have on others. Others stem from value differences which are much harder to bring to the surface and resolve. Of course, there are cultural differences, differences in style (very polite vs. very crude for example) and, unfortunately, conflict based on really inappropriate behavior.

After having been an arbitrator and mediator for many years, my personal bias is to attempt to resolve conflict in as benign a manner as possible. I much prefer mediation – except in extreme cases – to adjudication. This method is most valuable in situations where people can’t walk away and never deal with each other again. Not only do they have to work together – but so do their friends, co-workers and colleagues who no doubt have taken sides.

We explore interviewing and investigation techniques as well as alternative dispute resolution – consisting of Arbitration, Mediation and Conciliation.

This course teaches you methods with which to help your fellow employees resolve their workplace conflict. 

Learning Objectives
  • Recognize differences due to external factors and how they lead to conflict.
  • Explore new ways to interview and investigate.
  • Discover alternative methods to handle disputes
  • Recognize which type of intervention to use in which kind of situation
  • Identify the differences in the major types of alternative dispute resolution.
Last updated/reviewed: March 9, 2024

Included In Certifications

This course is included in the following Certification Programs:

29 CoursesMastering Management Certification

  1. Preventing Harassment, Abusive Behavior, Bullying, And Discrimination In the Workplace
  2. The Art and Science of Interviewing
  3. Investigating a Complaint of Inappropriate Behavior in The Workplace
  4. Understanding Our Unconscious Biases
  5. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Management’s Role
  6. Management Providing Safety and Better Ergonomics
  7. Maintaining a Culture of Innovation and Creativity
  8. Managing Passive People
  9. Group Decision Making and Problem Solving
  10. Resolving Workplace Conflict
  11. Company Culture: Creating and Maintaining the Best
  12. Part I: Cultural and Behavioral Information for Business in an International – Global Environment
  13. Part II: Country Specific, Cultural, and Behavioral Information - Doing Business in a Global Environment
  14. Effective Time Management and Goal Setting/Delegation
  15. Culture: Inside the Company and Outside the Country
  16. Cognitive Styles (Styles of Thinking, Talking, Giving and Receiving Information)
  17. Finding Success with Teams Working Far Apart
  18. Change Management: The People Side
  19. Effective Workplace Negotiation and Persuasion
  20. Ethics and Attitude in the Workplace
  21. Creating Rewards and Recognitions that Get You What You Want to Achieve
  22. Onboarding: From Entry-Level to Senior Executive
  23. Marrying Career Development with Succession Planning
  24. Visibility Enhances Promotability
  25. Delegating Skills for Managers
  26. Assertiveness Skills for Executives, Managers and HR Professionals
  27. How EQ Helps Motivate Your Staff
  28. Effective Meeting Management for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators
  29. Communication: A Two-Way Process
30 Reviews (124 ratings)

Reviews

1
Member's Profile
This course was very unhelpful. The course was full of examples that were too specific to be applied to any real life situations that managers or hr might encounter. There was no information on how to actually help people resolve their problems - the only information was about arbitration and other formal methods. I was looking for coaching for managers in what do when conflict is encountered and recieved little practical information. Also, the slides/audio was very unprofessional with noises in he background and often the presenter providing the information not in sync with the presentation.

3
Member's Profile
The course had some good points but also was a little biased towards men. The example of what a man and a woman would do if you asked them to lunch was based on the personal experiences of the speaker and not a valid analysis. She baisically said that women are kind and would find ways to join others for lunch while men will reject the notion of going to lunch. maybe the men thought the speaker was hitting on them so they rejected the sexual advance. Analysis was very biased.

3
Anonymous Author
There are some great bits of information, however, the overall presentation is very disjointed and the sound quality is off. Recommend the trainer to review the course again from the lens of someone taking this course for the first time - see what flows, what could be polished -- it's pretty obvious.

5
Anonymous Author
I recently completed this online course, and it exceeded my expectations! The content was comprehensive, the instructor was engaging, and the flexibility allowed me to learn at my own pace. Highly recommend it to anyone looking to boost their leadership skills!

3
Anonymous Author
While this course provided a decent overview of resolving conflict in the workplace, the content, examples, and delivery fell short of other courses presented by this instructor. Nonetheless, it did serve as a refresher for key concepts presented.

4
Anonymous Author
The course is very helpful. There are a lot of insights that everybody can apply in their workplace. The speaker is very knowledgeable of the topic. The presentation is very organized and the time allotted on the topic is about right.

5
Member's Profile
I liked that it was easy to listen to and follow along. I was surprised that is was suggested to NOT use power point presentation but ultimately understand why. Our HR department would get the most out of this course.

5
Anonymous Author
This course had some wonderful examples that resonated with me and reiterated the importance of viewing all sides before determining next steps. This course has value for both new and experienced leaders.

2
Member's Profile
It was a lousy presentation, the slides where all over the place, hard to follow, the info on the slides had little to do with the issues discussed and where indexed randomly.

5
Anonymous Author
The course was well structured and helped me understand the subject matter at the appropriate level. I will use what I learned during this course to perform my job.

5
Anonymous Author
Learning best practices for conflict resolution is necessary for HR professionals, and I enjoyed learning about options/steps to take if a conflict arises.

4
Anonymous Author
Finding ways to resolve conflict is a benefit to the organization and helps the HR department resolve situations that can get out of hand really quickly.

4
Member's Profile
This course gives many examples that help put the topic in context. I think it will help in real life situations by remembering why conflicts occur.

4
Member's Profile
Modules under “Some Reasons Why Conflicts Occur” and subsequently are mislabeled. Questions 8 & 9 on the Final Exam are the same question.

4
Member's Profile
Great course and an amazing amount of examples, analogies and support for the material. Appreciate all of the perspectives.

3
Anonymous Author
I had the same question twice on my exam. The PDF has screens that aren't included in the presentation. Example 7-10.

3
Member's Profile
Good course for HR, managers, or supervisors. Some presentation slides don't match the video titles being discussed.

5
Member's Profile
I enjoyed the course. It helped me understand how to resolve workplace conflicts, and what to look for.

5
Member's Profile
I have a better understanding of workplace conflict, why it occurs, and how it can be resolved.

3
Member's Profile
The course provides nice information about conflict resolution and various methods

4
Anonymous Author
Some good ideas for looking at conflict from different points of view.

3
Member's Profile
Perfect refresher on ways to resolve workplace conflict. Thanks!

5
Member's Profile
Lots of examples given based on the real world experiences.

5
Member's Profile
so many nuggets to take away. I highly recommend this course

4
Member's Profile
very good course, good presentation and pertinent information

3
Member's Profile
Nice introduction to conflict resolution and tools to use

3
Anonymous Author
deilvery quality needs to be improved

4
Member's Profile
Enjoyable presentation!

Anonymous Author
interesting examples

5
Member's Profile
Good

Prerequisites
Course Complexity: Intermediate

No Advanced Preparation or Prerequisites are needed for this course. 

Education Provider Information
Company: Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
Contact: For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .
Instructor for this course
Course Syllabus
Introduction and Overview
  Introduction to Resolving Workplace Conflict10:35
  Some Brief Definitions of Alternative Dispute Resolutions 4:36
Some Reasons Why Conflict Occurs
  Some Reasons Why Conflict Occurs (Reasons A and B)11:06
  Some Reasons Why Conflict Occurs (Reason C and D)15:05
  Reducing Conflict Caused by Misunderstanding Not Malice8:56
  Litigiousness and Political Correctness9:16
Misunderstandings and Cultural Reasons
  When Cultures Clash10:21
  Some Workplace Examples11:16
  Alternative Dispute Resolution7:36
CONCLUSION
  Summary and Conclusion1:22
Continuous Play
  Resolving Workplace Conflict 1:30:09
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
  Slides: Resolving Workplace ConflictPDF
  Resolving Workplace Conflict Glossary/IndexPDF
REVIEW and TEST
  REVIEW QUESTIONSquiz
 FINAL EXAMexam