Program Summary:

When harnessed positively, workplace conflict can indicate active engagement, collaboration, and the exchange of innovative ideas. These environments embrace the individual who plays the devil’s advocate and ventures beyond conventional boundaries to question established norms that may no longer be working.  On the other hand, when conflict takes a disruptive and unproductive turn, it can send people running for cover. Left unaddressed, it may result in fractured relationships, causing lasting damage that hinders functionality within the organization.

This session will first examine proactive measures to reduce mitigating circumstances that brew below the surface of simmering conflict and, secondly, look at resolution strategies when the problems slip through unexpectedly and need immediate attention.

Everyone has a voice in this session and will leave with shared tips to nurture a conflict-resistant workplace that reduces disruption and promotes a positive and productive environment.

SHRM Learning Objectives: 

Technical Competencies - Organization - Employee Relations

Behavioral Competencies - Interpersonal – Communication

1. Identify and evaluate vulnerable workplace conditions that can foster an outpouring of grievances.
2. Explore strategies that address conflicts at early stages and cultivate a mindset of resolution rather than avoidance.
3. Identify and describe behaviors that support a self-correcting system that addresses disruptive and unproductive conflicts before they escalate. 

Speaker:  Sharon E. Harrington, MA, CPTD

Sharon E. Harrington, MA, CPTD, is an Organizational Communication Consultant with over 25 years of experience facilitating workplace learning and mediating issues surrounding workplace conflict. Her primary focus area is working with organizations to infuse integrated conflict management systems (ICMS) that equip them with proactive measures to address communication problems as they arise and not after the crisis. She is the founder of Amediate, LLC, which provides services in employment discrimination investigations, employment mediation, and learning facilitation. Her clients are a cross-sector of federal, state, and local government, as well as small/mid-size businesses, volunteer organizations, and professional associations.  Ms. Harrington holds an MA degree in Organizational Communication from Arizona State University and a BA degree in Public Relations/Journalism from Kent State University. She also holds a certificate in Federal Workplace Mediation from George Mason University and a Federal Agency Decision (FAD) certificate from the EEOC Institute.

Sorry, No Refunds