- Determine their personal approach to conflict, and learn about the five differing conflict styles
- Clarify primary and secondary approaches to conflict, and identify benefits and potential opportunities within each
- Experiment with conflict resolution strategies and communication knowledge via interactive exercises
- Apply insights to current leadership situations, team dynamics, and people management processes
- Develop an action and implementation plan of new leadership competencies
We Can Work It Out
An Experiment with Conflict Navigation
& Consensus Building
As the Beatles sing, “Life is very short – and there’s no time for fussing and fighting, my friend.” While frequent conflict can certainly be taxing or uncomfortable, disagreements can often lead to enhanced respect, open-mindedness, and innovation.
In this conflict management workshop, participants will have the opportunity to understand various reactions to conflict, and discover which response is most appropriate for a given situation. Conflict responses differ based on two key variables: our level of assertiveness and our level of cooperation. After taking a brief assessment to identify our natural conflict style preference, participants will explore and define each of the five conflict styles in greater detail, and fine-tune our approach and perception on navigating conflict situations in the future. The people and projects we lead require each conflict style to varying degrees, especially as we begin to empower others to take on new challenges and responsibilities. Participants leave this session with a deeper understanding of their natural communication style during times of conflict, and a refreshed outlook on how to approach these conversations in the future.
What You'll Learn
During this conflict navigation workshop, participants will:
Leadership Behaviors You'll Develop
As a result of this session, participants will be able to enhance their leadership capabilities through the following behaviors:
- Being adaptable and assertive where appropriate, knowing when to stand firm and when to flex
- Considering the needs of others when navigating disagreement and building team alignment
- Building consensus and alignment across diverse teams and stakeholders
- Proactively addressing conflict with confidence and skill
Who Is This Workshop For?
This workshop is a strong fit for team leaders, managers, and individual contributors who are ready to approach conflict as a leadership asset rather than a liability. Whether your team is building new collaborative muscles or deepening an already strong foundation, this session equips everyone to navigate disagreement with greater confidence, intentionality, and skill.
Related Workshops
Learning Objectives:
- Define the concepts of EMOTIONAL AGILITY and PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY, and explore the building blocks that allow this to prosper in an individual level and within a team environment
- Explore the five common “THINKING TRAPS” that get people stuck, and practice five communication and trust-based “ESCAPE ROUTE” strategies to help yourself and others break free
- Empower team members to speak their minds, and encourage emotional openness from others
Key Themes & Leadership Behaviors:
- Psychological Safety
- Building Trust
- Effective Communication
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate between the topics of CHANGE and TRANSITION, exploring “the people side” of change
- Identify key actions to successfully navigate each phase of transition
- Develop an action + implementation plan, fit with details of specific steps to support others during times of ambiguity
Key Themes & Leadership Behaviors:
- Change Agility + Adaptability
- Increased Empathy + Awareness
- Team-Focused Strategy + Mindset
Learning Objectives:
- Define the concepts of EMOTIONAL AGILITY and PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY, and explore the building blocks that allow this to prosper in an individual level and within a team environment
- Explore the five common “THINKING TRAPS” that get people stuck, and practice five communication and trust-based “ESCAPE ROUTE” strategies to help yourself and others break free
- Empower team members to speak their minds, and encourage emotional openness from others
Key Themes & Leadership Behaviors:
- Psychological Safety
- Building Trust
- Effective Communication
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate between the topics of CHANGE and TRANSITION, exploring “the people side” of change
- Identify key actions to successfully navigate each phase of transition
- Develop an action + implementation plan, fit with details of specific steps to support others during times of ambiguity
Key Themes & Leadership Behaviors:
- Change Agility + Adaptability
- Increased Empathy + Awareness
- Team-Focused Strategy + Mindset
Learning Objectives:
- Discover the theories and trends associated with highly effective negotiation
- Select the methodologies that best align with our personal leadership and communication style
- Experiment with effective negotiation strategies via hands-on, interactive exercises
- Develop an action + implementation plan, fit with details of specific steps to support others during times of ambiguity
Key Themes & Leadership Behaviors:
- Persuasion + Influence
- Storytelling + Communication
- Increasing Assertiveness + Confidence
Learning Objectives:
- Clarify leadership and communication preferences, and develop a “user’s manual” to articulate our findings
- Discover the attributes, behaviors and common blind-spots of natural preferences, and explore and understand the same attributes and behaviors of opposing types
- Highlight specific actions we can take when working with someone who leverages opposing preferences, and develop a plan to adjust our styles with at least one current colleague
Key Themes & Leadership Behaviors:
- Effective Communication
- Collaboration + Trust
- Openness + Awareness
Learning Objectives:
- Discover the theories and trends associated with highly effective negotiation
- Select the methodologies that best align with our personal leadership and communication style
- Experiment with effective negotiation strategies via hands-on, interactive exercises
- Develop an action + implementation plan, fit with details of specific steps to support others during times of ambiguity
Key Themes & Leadership Behaviors:
- Persuasion + Influence
- Storytelling + Communication
- Increasing Assertiveness + Confidence
Learning Objectives:
- Clarify leadership and communication preferences, and develop a “user’s manual” to articulate our findings
- Discover the attributes, behaviors and common blind-spots of natural preferences, and explore and understand the same attributes and behaviors of opposing types
- Highlight specific actions we can take when working with someone who leverages opposing preferences, and develop a plan to adjust our styles with at least one current colleague
Key Themes & Leadership Behaviors:
- Effective Communication
- Collaboration + Trust
- Openness + Awareness
View More Workshops
View More Workshops
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five conflict styles covered in this conflict management workshop?
Conflict responses are mapped along two key variables: assertiveness and cooperation. The five styles, competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating, are each explored in depth. Participants discover the unique strengths and ideal applications of each, building a full toolkit rather than defaulting to a single approach.
How does understanding conflict styles help teams collaborate more effectively?
When we understand how we and our teammates naturally respond to disagreement, we stop taking conflict personally and start using it strategically. The result is stronger alignment, more open-minded dialogue, and the kind of productive tension that actually leads to better ideas and stronger outcomes.
How does this conflict resolution training help leaders expand their impact?
The people and project leaders are responsible for requiring each conflict style to varying degrees, especially as leaders begin to empower others to take on new challenges and responsibilities. This workshop helps leaders identify their natural style and develop the range to choose the most effective response for any situation.
What kind of assessment is included in this workshop?
Participants complete a brief conflict style assessment at the start of the session to surface their natural preference. This self-discovery becomes the foundation for the entire session, sparking group dialogue, hands-on experimentation, and a personalized action plan.
How long is the We Can Work It Out workshop?
Session length is flexible and can be customized to fit your team’s goals and schedule. Contact The Leadership Laboratory to explore half-day, full-day, and abbreviated formats.
Jacob Goldstein
Jacob Goldstein is the founder of The Leadership Laboratory, and leverages his experiences in education, the performing arts, and corporate learning & leadership development to his work. As a performer, Jacob has sung as a backup vocalist for musical artists such as Josh Groban, Idina Menzel, and Patti LuPone, as a recording artist for Netflix series Sense8, and at venues including The United Center, The Chicago Theater, and Chicago Symphony Center. In the education space, Jacob has served as an educator for high school, undergraduate and graduate students, and has been a Guest Lecturer at Northwestern University since 2016. As a Learning & Leadership Development Consultant, Jacob has worked as a one-on-one coach and group workshop facilitator to organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies in diverse industries, including technology, healthcare, non-profit, and fashion/apparel. Jacob holds a Bachelor’s degree from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master’s of Science in Communication from Northwestern University.
Contact Us
Use the contact form or email us at: hello@leadershipdevelopmentlab.com
The Leadership Laboratory works across multiple industries - including start-up and established technology firms, non-profit and government agencies, finance companies, healthcare organizations and more. We are proud to collaborate with individuals and teams of all sizes.
Contact us and say hello! We're excited to get to know you and share our ideas on learning + leadership development.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.