Conflict Resolution Scenarios

Purpose: There is a misconception that conflict is always negative. There are positive forms of conflict and can lead to better overall results. While there can be positive forms of conflict, there will be experiences in our professional lives where we will need to have courageous conversations to address situations before they become problematic. The purpose of this activity is to identify the most appropriate conflict handling style in each given scenario.

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Time frame: 30 minutes (20 minutes in small groups, 10 minutes classroom discussion)

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Instructions: In groups of 2 – 3 identify the most appropriate conflict management style based on the scenario and identify how your group would handle the situation.

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Scenario #1: You and a colleague are working together on a project but disagree about key elements of the project. You both have equal amounts of tenure (seniority) within the organization, have similar levels of experience within the field and have raised equally valid points. This is an important project for both of you and has the potential to result in other opportunities for advancement within the organization.
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Which conflict resolution style would be best in this case? How would you resolve this issue?

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Scenario #2: You are frustrated with a member of your team. The person has been regularly showing up late to team meetings and is not prepared when they do come. This has been an ongoing issue over the past couple of months however, you were hoping that the person would see that this type of behaviour was not acceptable in a professional environment without you having to approach them. You have also noticed how other members of your team are starting to quietly make comments about the person and some of your other team members are now starting to behave differently towards you.
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What conflict resolution style have you been using in this scenario? What approach would be more effective? What conversation would you have with the team member? With the entire team? Why would you use this approach?

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Scenario #3: You are struggling with a co-worker who is unable to meet the deadlines for projects. While your co-worker delivers quality work when it is submitted, their delays mean that you have less time to complete your portion of the project and still meet client deadlines. You are unable to begin work on your portion of the project until your co-worker and you know that you need to address this situation but are unclear about how to proceed.
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What would the best approach in this situation? Why? What steps would you use to resolve this issue?

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Scenario #4: You are the safety supervisor for your organization. It is your job to ensure that all employees are using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and using machinery correctly. You notice that an employee is not using a piece of machinery properly and that this could result in them severely injuring themselves or their co-workers.
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What would the best approach be in this situation? Why? What further steps would you take in this case to prevent future incidents from occurring?