Let’s face it – conflict occurs no matter the circumstances. Regardless of whether you’re working on a large team or small group, conflict can occur when people feel unappreciated, unheard, or even unseen despite your best efforts as a leader or coworker. Still, though, not all conflicts are particularly bad. Though conflict is often something we try to avoid, positive conflict can be beneficial and constructive. It produces new ideas, solves continuous problems, and allows people and teams to expand their skills and foster creativity – a great thing for teams and organizations of all sizes.

Working through positive conflict has many benefits that lead to lasting avenues, including enhanced creativity and innovation, improved decision-making, greater team cohesion, and opportunities for personal and professional growth while still promoting productivity. According to a study looking at American and Chinese employees in China, scholars interested in organization productivity and growth showed a correlation between the use of conflict management and an employee’s overall work satisfaction. Looking at how some employees and managers approach conflict, the study examined that conflict – though not ideal – actually allows for greater communication and work styles to come together across an organization. 

However, conflict resolution is not for the faint of heart. Becoming a point person for internal conflict resolution is integral to the success of any growing team, department or company, and thus requires training. 

Through ACU Online’s Master of Arts in Conflict Management and Resolution and graduate Certificate in Conflict Management program, you will not only be tasked to understand the knowledge and skills necessary to help you manage conflict effectively and professionally but also build relationships by successfully moving parties toward an agreement. Placing a greater emphasis on resolution, the program is designed to help you become a conflict resolution master interested in reflecting the importance of maintaining relationships, even through a disagreement amongst your coworkers, supervisors, or team members. 

Here are just some of the top positive skills you will learn that can be applied the moment you find yourself called to step into a conflict-related situation. 

Promote an integrative approach to managing team conflicts

When emotions get involved in any situation, it can be difficult to manage; let alone, promote a clear-headed discussion focused on moving forward. In both of our programs, soon-to-be mediators uncover what it means to handle a stressful situation objectively without minimizing one’s differences or grievances. Through classes like Mediation – Principles & Practice and Managing Conflict in the Workplace, you will learn integrative ways to motivate effective negotiation and mediation specifically for professional work environments. Providing opportunities to develop skills in identifying the signs and root causes of friction, anger, violence and conflict, students will undergo a series of case studies and real-life examples of how the framework for understanding sources of organizational conflict occur and how the best practitioners have found ways to improve upon them.  

Foster a safe environment for differing opinions

As humans, we all come from different walks of life, racial upbringings, and styles of communicating. Some people love to express their thoughts no matter the content of them, while others prefer to keep them bottled up inside – and then explode at a later time. Either way, conflict resolutioners need to know how to manage and create environments where both sets of people can cohesively work together. In classes like Conflict – The Christian Perspective, you will examine conflict through the lens of scripture will paying particular attention to how Christians should approach conflict as a means to glorify God and grow in their faith, along with a special emphasis on the concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation. Though not all mediators are in managerial positions, you will learn how they can establish safe environments in their groups, team meetings, and interpersonal relationships by giving people the opportunity to express their feelings, work through their circumstances independently, and walk with them into the newfound solutions. 

Advocate for training

Providing training for employees offers more than just the benefit of positive work conflicts. It allows for opportunities to grow and enhance their problem-solving, interpersonal communication skills, and even mental training. When employees disagree, it’s hard to keep conflicts positive areas for work. However, businesses should consider training their employees to think about disagreements as arenas for growth and kindness. Through classes like Practicum in Conflict Resolution and Conflict Management Systems Design, you will be guided through real-life frameworks for how to understand organizational conflict prevention and resolution systems. Additonally, you will be given the chance to apply those training systems within a graduate-level practicum tailored to meet your individual interests. Focused on building future mediators through a series of intensive courses and hands-on training, you will discover how academically-inclined training can reduce the likelihood of conflict or at the very least, increase their chances for advocating for training to their managerial staff.

Handling conflict is an art form. It requires careful examination, a tuned ear, an open heart, and a focus on objectivity no matter the circumstance. Bringing effective conflict resolution skills to your organization can help create positive relationships between coworkers and also encourage productivity within teams. Our program will prepare you to meet the rising demand for professionals with conflict-resolution skills in the workplace. 

If you want to learn more about how effective conflict resolution can help people and businesses thrive, visit us online today to discover more about our Master of Arts in Conflict Management & Resolution or graduate Certificate in Conflict Management program,