VIDEO TIP ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION -
"Conflict should build relationships, not end them."
CONFLICT COCACHING blends the two burgeoning fields of coaching and alternative or appropriate dispute resolution, known as ADR. Conflict coaching helps individuals and groups to develop creative, effective and constructive ways to address conflictual situations that adversely impact on them, their work and the workplace. The fact that opportunity for growth and learning exist in any conflictual situation is one of the major premises of conflict coaching.
Insights gained on the impact of conflict and the way we typically deal with conflict and to discover new and different perspectives for managing conflict in general are starting points. The stages for learning constructive ways to approach conflict is done in a dynamic, practical and productive process facilitated by a trained coach. Conflict coaching operates on the basis that methodical coaching specific to conflict builds confidence and skills to prevent and resolve disputes effectively.
The main objectives of conflict
coaching are as follows ::
| :: | to help people examine their views about conflict and how they manage with it |
| :: | to assist people to gain more insight into how conflict impacts on them and others |
| :: | to facilitate shifts in how people respond rather than react to conflict |
| :: | to encourage and help people develop and apply effective problem-solving skills |
Conflict coaching combines both dispute resolution and coaching principles. One of the major premises of conflict coaching is that the opportunity for growth and learning exists in any situation.
Conflict coaching focuses on assisting individuals to improve their competency in conflict management. It is a dynamic, practical and productive process in which individuals build their capacity to develop creative and constructive ways to handle conflict and resolve disputes that negatively impact on either their professional or personal life.
Conflict Coaching is a confidential and voluntary process in which a coach works with individual clients on a one-on-one basis to:
- examine their conflict management style
- increase their effectiveness at resolving disputes
- build confidence in handling conflict
- prepare for anticipated disputes
- improve communication skills
- gain insight into how conflict impacts on them
- examine the drivers of conflict and how to mitigate their impact
- enhance conflict management skills
The role of the coach is a blend of personal consultant, trainer, advisor, and motivator. The coach's responsibility is to honour the client as the expert directing his or her own actions and discover what the client wants to achieve, encourage self-discovery, and elicit client generated solutions and strategies.
Conflict Coaching can be applied at anytime. In a dispute-specific instance, and coaching for negotiations/mediations, the process focuses on a particular dispute that the individual is or was involved in, or one which is anticipated that could adversely affect their personal or working relationships. In a more preventative and general application, conflict coaching is used for people who want to enhance existing skills or gain new conflict management skills. The many forms that conflict coaching may take are contingent upon the particular objective of the individual client or group.
Conflict coaching sessions take place on a scheduled basis, e.g. weekly or biweekly, for a specified period of time. Each session typically lasts from 45 minutes to 75 minutes. Individual coaching may occur in person or by telephone and involves the use of assessment tools, fieldwork tasks, and role plays. This type of dispute resolution intervention is beneficial to managers, team leaders and supervisors. Team building based on a conflict coaching model can also benefit work units.