Online Workshop

Building Your Conflict Management Competencies

Supporting you to assess and improve your conflict response skills

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Image of a business woman speaking to two business men in a meeting

About this Workshop

Without a doubt, conflict in life is inevitable and because no two individuals have exactly the same interests, conflict is a natural part of our interactions with each other.

A key question though, is how people respond when they find themselves in conflict situations.  Some kinds of conflict can be productive, providing different points of view that can lead to creative solutions to problems.  However, it’s the negative conflict that often causes us turmoil.

While the style of individuals in a given circumstance is important to how conflict is managed, ultimately behaviour determines actions and outcomes. The good news is that people can change their behaviours once they become aware of what triggers and drives negative conflict.

This workshop is aimed at improving one’s conflict competencies through a behavioural lens.  By looking at what constitutes constructive vs. destructive conflict behaviours, how they can be active or passive, and examining the hot-buttons that influence these behaviours, participants will learn how to channel conflict from negative stressful situations to positive stress-free ones.

NOTE: This is an interactive, virtual workshop, which is different from a webinar. Participants will be expected to participate through voice and video, and to engage with each other and the facilitator in large and small group discussions, to learn from each other and practice skill development.

Learning Objectives

  • Assist participants to improve their conflict management competencies
  • Understand the differences between positive vs. negative conflict
  • Explore active vs. passive responses to conflict
  • Understand the 15 behaviours that make up constructive vs. destructive conflict responses and which are most desirable
  • Explore the 9 hot-buttons of other people’s behaviours that trigger and upset us
  • Preview the Conflict Dynamics Profile assessment instrument
  • Understand practical strategies and approaches to better manage conflict responses and hot buttons

Who Should Attend?

  • Municipal leaders and senior staff

Format and Duration

  • One, two-hour online workshop
  • One-on-one:
    • a personalized Conflict Dynamics Profile assessment report*
    • a virtual 90-minute feedback session with instructor* 
    • a comprehensive 42-page development guide

*Both the assessment report and feedback session need to be completed in within three weeks of taking the two-hour online workshop.


Workshop Dates and Registration

All sessions in Eastern Standard Time.

Note: The maximum capacity for this workshop is 10 learners. 


IMPORTANT: After attending the two hour virtual classroom session, participants will need to complete a Conflict Dynamics Profile assessment report. After completing the assessment, participants will receive a link to schedule a virtual 90-minute feedback session with instructor, where personalized feedback will be provided. Both the assessment report and feedback session need to be completed in within three weeks of taking the two-hour virtual classroom session.

June 6, 2024

  • Thursday, June 6 | 10:00 – 12:00

  • Registration Cut Off: Tuesday, June 4

Register Today

October 25, 2024

  • Friday, October 25 | 10:00 – 12:00

  • Registration Cut Off: Wednesday, October 23

Register Today

Pricing

  • Members: $795 + HST

  • Non-Members: $1,034 + HST

  • Non-Member Education Level 1 & 2: $827 + HST

Bring This Workshop to Your Staff

OMSSA can work with you to deliver this workshop to you and your team in an in-person format at a time that works for you. We can also customize the content of each workshop to meet your specific needs. Contact OMSSA's Director, Education Christie Herrington to learn more about bringing this workshop to your staff. 

Testimonials

Here are what some attendees had to say about this workshop:

Loved the small group, it allowed for great conversation and the presenter provoked a lot of reflective thinking.

[This session had a] great pace, lots of invitation for comments and conversation, did not feel overwhelmed with the amount of information and love the opportunity to personalize the learning with developing a plan.

[This workshop] is a must-take for any professional that wants to better understand their strengths and weaknesses related to conflict management. It was a dynamic course that offered me so much insight into those elements that I was aware of as well as those that were not known to me. The instructor and course content was excellent. The follow up support was also so helpful and insightful in improving and building my skills to take with me for my work with my current professional position as well as for use in my personal life. I can’t recommend this course enough. If you are looking for a course with solid outcomes and tangible tools that you can implement immediately, this is the course for you.


About the Facilitator

Sharad Kerur has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and Master of Industrial Relations from Queen's University, with a focus on negotiation theory and alternative dispute resolution methods.   

For over 30 years, Sharad held senior level positions in the union and association sectors. His most recent position was Executive Director of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA), Canada's largest non-profit housing association. As a result, he has a strong grasp on the business of non-profit organizations and associations, and real-world experience in negotiation and mediation.

Sharad is Harvard-trained, having obtained a Certificate in Mediating Disputes and a Certificate in Negotiating Difficult Conversations from the Harvard Negotiation Institute (Harvard Law School) and also holds a Certificate in Dispute Resolution and an Advanced Certificate in Dispute Resolution, both from the York University in Toronto.

Amongst his credentials, Sharad is:

  • a Qualified Mediator through the ADR Institute of Canada, 
  • an accredited Chartered Community Mediator through the Ontario Community Mediation Coalition, 
  • a Certified Conflict Management Coach, coach-mentor and trainer with CINERGY®
  • an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation, 
  • a certified Personal and Business Coach through the Coach Academy (Canada)
  • a certified Conflict Dynamics Profile practitioner through Eckerd College in Florida, and
  • a certified Senior Workplace Fairness Analyst accredited by the Workplace Fairness International.  

Sharad also leads his own consultancy firm known as Resolution Pathways, which assists people and organizations to transform conflicts into collaboration.  With his knowledge, expertise, and experience, he currently provides services in:

  • 1-to-1 conflict management coaching
  • "understanding-based" mediation services
  • training on managing difficult conversations and navigating conflict relationships
  • assistance in the development of high-performing teams
  • workplace conflict assessments and fairness restoration strategies

Technical Requirements

OMSSA will be hosting this virtual workshop using Zoom, an online, interactive platform that you can join straight from your web browser, or by downloading 'Zoom Client for Meetings' on your computer or tablet. 

Participants will be expected to join the workshop via both video and audio. Participants should therefore have access to a desktop computer, laptop computer or tablet with:

  • a webcam or built-in camera

  • a built-in microphone or a headphone jack where you can plug in a headset or earphones

We strongly recommend that participants use a headset or earphones with a built-in microphone in order to limit background noise. 

System requirements: Click here for more detailed information on system requirements from Zoom.