This course is accredited by the Services Seta and covers unit standards 114226 at NQF level 5 worth 8 credits.

3 Day course

Course Overview

Conflict management and negotiation skills are essential in the pressurised work environment of today, yet few managers have been trained to respond confidently in the face of these stresses. Instinctively we react to conflict in ways which are based upon old habits which often result in escalating a vicious cycle of conflict. This course will enable you to review your inherited approach to conflict since it has been designed to be interactive and self-exploratory.

Inter-personal, intergroup and structural conflicts all point to the need for more effective tools for lasting problem solving through negotiation. It is thus important for managers, supervisors and customer service staff to become familiar with the principles, processes, and techniques of conflict and negotiation management. This course will inform and deepen your understanding further, enabling you to make wise choices which will improve your ability to manage conflict professionally.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the participants should be able to:

• Recognize how our own attitudes and actions impact on others
• Find new and effective techniques for managing negative emotions in others and self
• Understand the function of communication through exploring its processes
• Apply assertive verbal skills for effective feedback strategies
• Apply critical listening skills
• Develop awareness of how effective non-verbal messages are communicated
• Describe the main sources of conflict
• Develop coping strategies for dealing with difficult people and difficult situations
• Identify those times when you have the right to walk away from a difficult situation
• Explain the appropriate techniques in inter-personal conflict management
• Describe the appropriate action plan and strategies to manage inter-group conflict
• Explain the attributes of an effective manager
• Prepare for negotiations
• Engage in negotiations
• Conclude negotiations
• Evaluate negotiations

Course Outline

What is conflict?
The main sources of conflict
Different types of conflicts
Key questions which clarify conflict causes
Conflict stages
Listening continuum
Attitudes towards conflict
The Dual Concern Model
Understanding where my attitude to conflict is rooted
Tools for improved communication
What gives people power
Problem solving
Management techniques in industrial conflicts
Tools for conflict analysis
Inter-group conflict
Stereotypes and prejudices
Strategies for resolving inter-group conflict
Negotiations
The importance of negotiations and agreements
Building the relationship
Assertiveness
Understanding the Negotiations process map
Informing people about the negotiations process
Useful questions for setting up a negotiations process
Persuading through discussion
Building trust
Qualities of good negotiators
Facilitating the negotiation process
A comparison of negotiation styles
Negotiations strategy
Understanding different negotiation styles
Negotiation mistakes to avoid
Key soft skills in the negotiations process
The mediation process
The function of the mediator
The goals of mediation
Facilitation
Conciliation
Managing emotions
Arbitration
Designing a strong agreement

Accredited by the Services Seta

Imsimbi Training is an Accredited Training Provider with Services Seta number 2147. Imsimbi Training is a Level 2 BBBEE company.