Trainings

For nearly thirty years, the Dispute Settlement Center has trained individuals and groups in business, nonprofit organizations and government. Learning how to handle conflict better can enhance productivity and workplace harmony. We can custom-tailor communication, conflict management, and mediation trainings for your organization. Or, sign up for one of our trainings open to the public. (See our Upcoming Trainings Page for our current training schedule).

Trainings to be arranged:

• Leadership and Conflict Management
• Introduction to Conflict Resolution
• Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
• Advanced Conflict Management Skills for the Workplace


• Parent-Teen Conflict Management
• Conflict Resolution for Educators
• Introduction to Mediation
• Advanced Mediation Skills
• Meeting Facilitation Skills
• Introduction to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
• Cross-Cultural Communication Skills
• Communication, Conflict and Culture
• Home for the Holidays
• This Problem is Stressing Me Out!

Leadership and Conflict Management

Specifically aimed at those in a supervisory role, the certificate program includes three stand-alone workshops that specifically address conflict within organizations and the leadership qualities for success in managing conflict: The Conflict Competent Leader, Promoting a Conflict Competent Organization, and Maintaining Conflict Competency During Transition.

Objectives of the three-course sequence are to:

• Develop personal leadership competencies for managing conflict;
• To learn skills for promoting constructive conflict in teams and organizations; and
• To develop awareness and skills in dealing with conflict during change and transition.

Attendance at each workshop will be limited to 20 participants. Participants may choose to take any single course. However, Workshop I participants will be given preference if Workshop II sessions are oversubscribed, etc. Those who attend all three will receive certification from the Dispute Settlement Center demonstrating accomplishment and a sustained commitment to developing skills in conflict management.

(Prerequisite: Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills training, or completing and passing a test on the concepts.)

Workshop I: The Conflict Competent Leader (Half-day)

This workshop focuses on you as a leader in your organization and your role in responding effectively to conflict. The information and activities will help you to:

• Understand the spiral of unmanaged conflict;
• Assess the cost of conflict and respond accordingly; and
• Coach and mentor others in conflict.

Workshop II: Promoting a Conflict Competent Work Team (Half-day)

Addressing conflict competently within an organization requires an understanding of some of the complexities that impact the organization and committing to the transformation of the culture to support that. Workshop II focuses on your role in:

• Understanding and addressing power and power imbalances;
• Integrating cultural differences in conflict competency; and
• Implementing conflict competency within your organization.

Workshop III: Managing Conflict Competency During Transitions (Half-day)

Most organizations handle change poorly because they don't address transition and gap or omission inevitably leads to conflict. Workshop III will help you maintain conflict competency during these times by:

• Illuminating the difference between change and transition;
• Understanding the process of transition; and
• Applying transition concepts to organizational change.

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Introduction to Conflict Resolution (Lunch-time session)

This one-hour workshop provides an overview of the Center's one-day Communication and Conflict Management Skills workshop.

Participants will:

• gain a greater awareness of conflict and how it affects us;
• explore several ways to respond to conflict;
• become aware of a collaborative model for dealing with conflict; and
• become familiar with the Dispute Settlement Center's services to the community.

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Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills (One day)

Participants explore the nature of conlict in various settings and recognize the value of good communication skills in applying different approaches to conflict. The workshop is interactive with discussion and activities.

The following specific points are covered:

• conflict as opportunity;
• six-step collaborative problem-solving model;
• five conflict 'styles' and how/when to use them;
• recognizing and responding to interests and feelings versus positions and thoughts;
• the 'assert and defend' cycle;
• asking and listening; and
• effective handling of emotions and conflict.

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Advanced Conflict Management Skills for the Workplace (One day)

To create or maintain positive work environments we must be able to identify conflict resolution styles that are used in the workplace, be able to work with “difficult” behaviors and provide effective feedback. Participants will apply skills learned in previous conflict resolution skills training and practice advanced conflict management techniques that are specific to workplace challenges.

In this workshop we will use interactive activities, as well as facilitated discussion to explore ways to deal effectively with workplace conflicts. Each participant will also receive a one hour, one-on-one conflict coaching session with an experienced mediator/coach.

(Prerequisite: Conflict Management/Resolution Skills training)

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 Parent-Teen Conflict Management

This interactive 5-week series is designed for family members who want and need to be able to communicate more effectively, specifically parents/guardians with their teens aged 12-17. Participants will learn and practice skills that will give the ability to handle conflict, improve family communications, and manage anger while maintaining a calmer presence. (Support provided by Triangle United Way.)

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Conflict Resolution for Educators (One day)

This training is designed to aid teachers, group leaders and anyone who works with youth in managing conflict within their group. Through interactive activities, discussion, and materials, the participants will leave the group with a better understanding of conflict, its effects on a group, and ways to manage conflict so it becomes productive as opposed to destructive.

Participants will:

• explore and practice basic conflict management concepts and skills; and
• apply skills and concepts to different conflicts within the educational setting through the use of role plays and activities.

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Introduction to Mediation (Two days)

Mediation skills can be applied within a wide variety of situations: an employee dispute, a community controversy or a quarrel between family members. The mediator, acting as an impartial third party, facilitates communication between the disputants. The mediator neither makes decisions nor acts as an advocate, but rather supports the disputants to reach their own solution.

Presentations on the mediation process will be alternated with opportunities to practice the process through role plays. These role plays will be supervised by experienced DSC mediators who will offer feedback and support.

Participants will:

• learn to serve as an impartial facilitator who supports and empowers others in resolving their conflicts;
• practice discovering people's real interests which are hidden behind demands and ultimatums;
• practice reflective listening skills, asking effective questions, and reframing conflict;
• observe a mediation demonstration; and
• practice the six-step mediation process.

(Prerequisite: Communication and Conflict Management/Resolution Skills training)

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Introduction to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Half-day)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is arguably the most widely used, accurate, and versatile personality instrument in the world, with dozens of uses - in communication, teambuilding, and conflict resolution - for individuals and organizations.

Participants will:

• learn how to take in information;
• learn how to make decisions;
• learn how to re-energize;
• learn how they prefer to interact with the outer world; and
• learn their own profile and its inherent strenths and weaknesses.

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Advanced Mediation Skills (One day)

Trained mediators have the opportunity to enhance their skills with this 6-hour advanced training.

Participants will:

• practice advanced mediation skills such as reframing, finding common ground, and working with strong emotions; and
• explore different mediation styles, strategies, and goals through a series of interactive exercises and role plays (these role plays will be supervised by an experienced DSC process observer.)

(Prerequisite: Introduction to Mediation Skills training, with some mediation experience).

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Meeting Facilitation Skills (Two-day)

People active in all kinds of organizations need to know how to plan and conduct effective meetings.

Participants in this workshop acquire tools for enhancing commitment, communication, and conflict resolution in the groups to which they belong, while developing their ability to serve in the role of meeting facilitator.

Participants will:

• learn and practice basic conflict management concepts and skills;
• know five key elements of a successful meeting and how to achieve them;
• see techniques demonstrated for preventing and intervening against common meeting problems;
• learn how to contribute to the building of group consensus through skillful communication, meeting preparation, and process management; and
• practice and receive coaching in group consensus-building skills.

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Cross-Cultural Communication Skills (Half Day)

Resolving conflicts among people from different cultural backgrounds requires additional awareness and skills. Through a series of interactive exercises, this training provides participants with cross-cultural communication tools as well as conflict management skills which can be applied to help people from diverse cultural backgrounds avoid miscommunication and work towards productive solutions.

Participants will:

• explore how our cultural values, perspectives and beliefs affect our actions and perceptions;
• learn strategies for increasing cross-cultural understanding; and
• practice conflict management skills in a cross-cultural context.

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Communication, Conflict, and Culture

As our neighborhoods and workplaces become incresingly diverse, an understanding of culture and its effect on communication and conflict is more important than ever. Through this fun and interactive workshop, participants will:

• understand the definition and meaning of culture;
• explore how our cultural values, perspectives, and beliefs affect our actions and perceptions; and
• learn strategies for increasing cross-cultural understanding.

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Home for the Holidays

Holidays with family and friends should be joyous occasions. Instead they often become stress-filled events with opportunities for conflict. In this short workshop, participants will explore ways to create more relaxed holidays by setting realistic goals and avoiding the dramatic landmines.

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This Problem is Stressing Me Out!

Unresolved conflict with co-workers, neighbors or family members can seem to be never-ending, creating feelings of confusion and stress. In this short workshop, participants will learn about the nature of conflict and explore ways to think about and resolve their problems calmly. We'll also practice some stress reduction exercises.

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We can also custom-tailor these trainings for your workplace.

Download training registration form (68k)

For more information, contact Julie Potts at jpotts@disputesettlement.org.

Sample list of training clients:

UNC Law School
UNC School of Public Health
UNC Public Safety
Duke University
SAS Institute
Chapel Hill Housing
Research Triangle Institute
Bowman Gray School of Medicine
NC Association of Rehabilitation Facilities
OPC Mental Health Area Programs
Person County Health Department
Day Care Services
US-EPA
Town of Hillsborough
Alliance for AIDS Services
Natural Resources Leadership Institute
Weaver Street Market
Whole Foods Markets

DSC : Trainings

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