Building Conflict Capability: Developing Organizational Representatives to Resolve Workplace Conflicts and Communication Challenges

Course Description

This webinar will examine a model for developing managers, team leaders, HR representatives, equity officers, ombudsmen and other organizational representatives to address basic workplace conflicts and communication challenges.  It will explore approaches to developing conflict capability within the workforce, including the components of an intensive five-day mediation training program that teaches professionals to facilitate meaningful communication processes among disputing parties.  The pros, cons and safeguards for developing and implementing such programs will also be explored.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the pros and cons of developing conflict capability among organizational representatives who are not traditionally relied upon to address internal conflicts nor trained to do so
2. Cite example of approaches for developing conflict capability, including the components of an intensive, engaging five-day facilitative mediation training program designed for workforce professionals rather than traditional audiences of lawyers and certified mediators;
3. Describe how to develop workforce conflict capability in ways that expand organizational capacity to address basic workplace conflicts and communication challenges while leaving more egregious conflict situations that implicate policy violations to appropriate designated personnel

Biographies

Daniel Griffith is Associate Faculty at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in organizational leadership, negotiation and alternative dispute resolution, diversity, and human resources management. He is also Director of the IUPUI Office for Intergroup Dialogue and Civil Community which facilitates and supports campus initiatives focused on intergroup relations and fostering a campus climate for civility and civil discourse. He is principal author of The Conflict Survival Kit: Tools for Resolving Conflict at Work (2nd ed.), and co-author of Supervisor's Survival Kit (11th ed.), both published by Pearson Education, Inc.

Daniel provides training and consultation on diversity, HR, leadership, and conflict management issues for non-profits, colleges and universities, government agencies, and professional associations. He is a contributing writer for HigherEdJobs.com’s on-line career advice section and executive newsletter. He is a frequent presenter at local, regional and national conferences on topics related to conflict management, workplace civility and employee engagement.

Daniel received his J.D. degree from the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, Indiana and a B.A. degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.