Description of Course

Conflict, just as stress, is a fact of life, at home or at work. Conflict can have a negative impact on your attitude toward job, your sense of accomplishment and the enjoyment you derive from work. Someone defined conflict as a struggle of values or claims to status, power and scarce resources which means that you’ll find conflict everywhere. One can run away from conflict, meekly accept it and learn to live with it, or use personal skills to resolve it to the betterment of all parties and the organization.

The ability to deal with conflict can be a positive or negative force in the workplace and even in relationships and lives outside of work. In this time of limited reimbursement, attempting to maximize resource potential, by allowing negative energy to be redirected toward more productive endeavors, will result in a market edge and may be a key to survival.

Conflict in the 21st century can have a devastating effect on productivity, morale, teamwork, and ultimately, your organization’s ability to stay competitive. Unmanaged conflict can further lead to diminished staff commitment and increased workplace stress. Now, more than ever, the challenge for nurses is to juggle daily conflict, negotiate solutions and deal with the stress it produces.

Dealing with conflict effectively can have a profound impact. It can strengthen relationships with colleagues, bosses and patients, complete unfinished business and open communication. Conflict resolution can also bring important issues to light and once it is managed, it can have a positive effect on the organization.

Managing and resolving conflict constructively is a critical competency for every nurse in today’s workplace of change, diversity and competition. The long-term result for you and your organization will be less stress, greater harmony, more enthusiasm and improved productivity.

Purpose of Activity

This continuing education activity will introduce critical building blocks of how to constructively manage conflict. Using the simple yet sound techniques presented can make a dramatic change in one’s ability to handle potentially destructive conflict, in a positive constructive manner. Every effort will be made to deal with the real issues behind most conflicts and manage even the most serious confrontations with confidence, tact and composure. Proven strategies will unfold in dealing with a variety of workplace conflicts.

The ability to deal with conflict can be a positive or negative force in the workplace and even in relationships and lives outside of work. In this time of limited reimbursement, attempting to maximize resource potential, by allowing negative energy to be redirected toward more productive endeavors, will result in a market edge and may be a key to survival.

You’ll be empowered and you’ll learn important skills to understand behavior patterns and address problem behavior in a way that is specific, non-accusatory and constructive. This successful effort can establish good working relationships with even the most frustrating individuals. The challenge in gaining new insight on handling feelings of anxiety, anger, criticism and collaboration will additionally be explored.

anticipate and prevent destructive conflict

deal with conflict and disagreements before they erupt and get out of control

encourage the expression of differences when confronting them

anticipate and prevent destructive conflict

Dealing with conflict effectively can have a profound impact. It can strengthen relationships with colleagues, bosses and patients, complete unfinished business and open communication. Conflict resolution can also bring important issues to light and once it is managed, it can have a positive effect on the organization.

Managing and resolving conflict constructively is a critical competency for every nurse in today’s workplace of change, diversity and competition. The long-term result for you and your organization will be less stress, greater harmony, more enthusiasm and improved productivity.

Author

Kathy Falkenhagen, RN, BSN, MS

President, Nursing Vistas, Inc. Wimberly, Texas. Private practice as an educational consultant, leadership and management trainer.

• Table Of Contents

Learning Objectives

1. Define conflict and explain the importance of handling conflict in an organization.

2. Describe how conflict can be healthy for an organization.

3. Improve skills in managing as well as resolving conflict and dealing with interpersonal differences.

4. Relate or vocalize disagreement among staff members.

5. Outline various definitions of conflict.

6. Analyze conflict situations in workplaces involving different individuals and situations.

7. Describe 7 major types of conflict and apply them to a real-life situation.

8. Identify 4 basic personalities and describe their communication styles.

9. Identify 4 behavior patterns and apply them to a real-life situation.

10. Describe 3 stages of typical conflicts and appropriate ways to handle conflict situations at each stage.

11. List 5 characteristics of a conflict.

12. List 9 environmental factors that influence conflict.

13. Describe myths and truths about eliminating conflict from personal life or workplace.

14. Describe 4 behavior blocks that can potentially interfere with the constructive resolution of a conflict situation.

15. Distinguish between unmanaged and managed conflict.

16. List 4 guiding principles that may help you resolve conflict.

17. Identify behaviors in persons that bother you.

18. List 5 tactics you should follow when your personal dignity is threatened.

19. Outline 9 measures one should take to prevent difficulties with other people.

20. List 5 ways people react when disagreement exists, and employ strategies to effectively deal with them.

21. Categorize people by the way they create conflict.

22. Explain why women find it difficult working with other women and offer suggestions in dealing with them.

23. Recommend 4 keys to effective communication with Generation Xers in the workplace.

24. Identify 4 areas for specific management attention in conflict negotiation.

25. Describe the personality and actions of a "nice-guy" manager.

26. Describe the challenges posed by a "manipulator."

27. List 3 courses of action a manager can take when faced with a conflict in the work environment.

28. Explain why groups have trouble resolving conflict.

29. Describe the nine-step group conflict management model.

30. List 5 styles of conflict management and describe their verifying strengths and limitations.

31. Describe 11 strategies to defuse conflict.

32. Explain 4 characteristics of principled negotiation.

33. Identify 6 styles of negotiators and describe their characteristics.

34. Describe conflict formula for angry people.

35. List 6 steps necessary for developing a positive conflict attitude.

36. List 12 motives of a critic.

37. List 4 don'ts in responding to criticism.

38. List 7 ways to defuse criticism.

39. List 10 elements of assertive behavior.

40. List 10 components of assertive behavior.

41. Outline 3 reasons for collaborating.

42. List 11 strategies for managers to utilize in promoting integrated solution.

43. Identify 5 issues to deal with in managing collaborative relationships.

44. Measure your knowledge about stress.

45. Describe 7 ways body responds to stress.

46. Take a stress test and identify factors that cause stress in your life.

47. Describe 3 approaches to managing stress that conflict creates.

48. Describe 7 relaxing strategies.

Evaluation of Individual Objectives

To assess the effectiveness of the course material, we ask that you evaluate your achievement of each learning objective on a scale of A to D (A=excellent, B=good, C=fair, D=unsatisfactory). Please indicate your responses next to each learning objective and return it to us with your completed exam.

Table Of Contents

Chapter 1: What Is Conflict?

Chapter 2: Where Does Conflict Come From?  

Chapter 3: Conflict Dimensions

Chapter 4: Difficult People That Cause Conflict

Chapter 5: The Manager as a Conflict Negotiator

Chapter 6: A Model to Manage Conflict Collaboratively 

Chapter 7: Five Styles of Conflict Management

Chapter 8: Strategies to Defuse Conflict

Chapter 9: Responding to Criticism

Chapter 10: Assertiveness Skills

Chapter 11: Changing Conflict to Collaboration

Chapter 12: Conflict as a Stress Generator 

Glossary of Terms Used 

References 

Comments

"The course contained some valuable tools for conflict resolution.”   -  T.L., Metairie, LA

" This is a very informative course and the book is one that will be referred to again and again as different situations arise.”   -  F.F., Bogalusa, LA.

"Course was very clear and concise.”   -  N.M., Metairie, LA

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