All About People

Conflict happens in every organisation, although we may not always recognise it as such. If conflicts – small or large – are not managed, they can develop into problems that can impact everything from workplace culture, productivity to brand or organisation reputation. So, whilst conflict in the workplace is normal and inevitable, it is not always a negative force.

In certain circumstances, conflict can be positive. Differences of opinion are essential to a successful workplace. This can be helpfully disruptive bringing a level dynamism by making us question our ways of thinking and how we work. It can offer the opportunity to have more honest conversations leading to more innovative ways of working and strengthening our relationships.

However, each party needs to have a collaborative mindset and a positive response to conflict to illicit a good outcome. Many of us, inherently, have a negative conflict mindset due to the stress, anxiety and relationship breakdowns conflict can cause, which often means not achieving a constructive result. Shifting our mindset around conflict is key and this is where conflict coaching comes in.

What is conflict coaching?

Conflict coaching is provided by qualified and specifically trained coaches to enable individuals to improve the way they interact with suppliers, clients, intermediaries, and colleagues in order to better understand how to manage and resolve interpersonal workplace disputes. 

At All About People, our founder and Director, Geoffrey Milton is an experienced HR professional and qualified coach who has specialised in coaching individuals through conflict over many years. Geoffrey is certified to use the CINERGY conflict management approach, but other coaches may use models such as the Conflict Dynamics Profile or the Resilience@Work models. All of these models help individuals to better understand their conflict behaviours, key drivers and to build resilience; all of these are key skills in today’s ever-changing and challenging working environment.

When would conflict management coaching be utilised in the workplace?

Everyday. Yes, the output of conflict management coaching is ultimately to manage difficult situations, but the skills can also be used to enhance relationships and improve workplace culture.

Conflict coaching can be used to support individuals to:

• Accept the reality that conflict will occur in the workplace - aiming for zero conflict in the workplace is an unachievable goal.
  
• Develop their understanding of the impact that changes in attitude and behaviour have on how you respond to conflict
  
• Prevent any unnecessary escalation of a conflict by improving knowledge, skills and abilities to more effectively manage interpersonal disputes
  
• Prepare for challenging conversations in the workplace by developing stronger conflict management skills. (performance management, managing as a leader)
  
• Improve resilience and ability to manage future difficulties, such as lack of resilience, ongoing emotions and issues and difficult relationship dynamics.
  
• A respect for different viewpoints and an innovative approach to problem-solving.
  

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To find out more about how conflict coaching can benefit your workplace, sign up to our latest webinar: Click here for more information

Get in touch

We are here to help you reach a speedier resolution at a fraction of the cost of using litigation or other formal procedures. We have experience handling Mediation for a range of sectors, as well as providing workplace conflict coaching. Please do contact us to find out more about how we can help you.