Conflict in the workplace is inevitable - prepare your team members to handle conflict in a positive and healthy way using the coaching strategy shown below!

Suggested Strategy:

• Approach conflict with a positive light while pinpointing the triggers of stress when communicating

Suggested Questions:

• Rating Question:  On a scale of one to six, with six being you are able to calmly address conflict every time it presents itself, and one being you become stressed by conflict, where would you rate yourself and why?  What actions can we take together to help you reach a six?

• Third-Party Question:  If your best friend were here right now, how do you think they would describe your ability to handle conflict?  How might this ability affect your work relationships?  

Suggested Activities:

• Role Play:  Make a list together of things that occur in the employee’s conversations that trigger stress or negativity.  Practice handling each scenario together and make a plan of things that you can do together to help them handle those stressors and conflict in a positive way.  

Suggested Learning Projects:

• Journal-Based Coaching:  Have the employee keep a daily journal of times where he/she becomes aware of a struggle in handling a conflict.  How could their communication have been improved in that situation and how will they handle a situation like that going forward?  They should bring the journal entries to the next coaching session.

• Self-Directed Learning:  Read the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, one chapter per week.  Each coaching session, have your coaching target return with three things that they took away from the book that they feel could be improved on in his/her daily interactions with clients and peers, especially those that may cause stress.

• Non-Verbal Coaching:  Leave the employee a hand-written note when they exhibit a positive response to a potentially negative conversation.  Be specific in your note of what he/she did well!
• Video-Based Coaching:  Have YOUR supervisor send your coaching target a recorded video, sharing that they appreciate their efforts to improve.

Learn more about how to have coaching conversations around successfully handling conflict:  Join us for a webinar with Training Magazine!  Register Here to reserve your seat.

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