Course: How to Handle Emotional Conflicts

Title: Emotion Power for WorkForce Strength, An Action Based Outline For Frontline Leaders Who Lead Others, Not Just Their Own Behaviours

Expected audience and level
- Audience: Rising leaders and frontline team leaders in professional services firms, retail organisations, health practices or government clusters, those who 'take care of' small teams (6 to 20 staff) that are responsible for daily business performance as well as people culture.
- Level: Beginner intermediate leadership; will generally have 1 to 7 years' experience managing people activity at work; some exposure to HR/People processes; an appetite for truly 'hands on' learning on the job, nitty, gritty implementation day to day.
- Show locations led previously: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane; hybrid delivery possible group wide across states or regional Australia if required (e.g., Canberra based workforce/Geelong & Parramatta local employer groups).

Preferred length and format
- Length: 3×2 hour virtual live spaced across two weeks (reduced cognitive load/transfer).
- Format: Highly interactive micro modular approach, short bursts of theory, guided reflection and skill drills followed by roleplays and manager aligned learning applications.
- Delivery method: Hybrid, self facilitated virtually live with optional half day consolidation in house workshop for Sydney/Melbourne based cohorts. All delegates unlock a short bespoke e learning primer to complete at your convenience prior to session 1.
- Why: Short, repeated sessions rather than one off full day workshops equal actual behavioural change. Many Organisations disagree, they continue to opt for the immersive one day retreat. That's fine, but the research on retention does favour spaced practice.

Programme objectives (high level)
- Transform regular emotional grind into manageable, predictable team processes.
- Offer the next generation leaders a reproducible toolkit: know your buttons, de escalate on the spot; conduct boundary led conversations; and design team rituals that decrease frequency of conflict.
- Transition the culture from avoidance/venting to candid problem solving, while staying fully in touch with our emotions.

Why It Matters (one blunt paragraph)
Conflict is bound to arise. It's not the enemy, it's unresolved conflict. When rushed it erodes trust and performance. We have seen promising KPIs turn under the crush of micro conflicts that return over and over again. Fix the human stuff and the business stuff gets fixed. If you think "we don't have time for this," you are the very person who should be there.

Key statistic (in context)
- There is abundant international research to show conflict flourishes in the workplace: an oft quoted study on workplace conflict finds 85% of employees experience it to some extent, it costs organisations through lost productivity and staff churn. We see that too in Australian mental health data, which shows that about 1 in 5 Australians experience high or very high psychological distress each year, work related stressors are part of that picture (see Sources & Notes).

Learning objectives (measurable)
At the end of the programme, participants shall have had:
1. Diagnose primary sources of emotional tension within their team (interpersonal, unsatisfied needs, systemic).
2. Use a three step in the moment de escalation strategy to reduce intensity by at least 50% (assessed with self and peer ratings in simulations).
3. Employ active constructivist mediation in a boundary setting conversation (modelled roleplay score target: 80%).
4. Create and tryout two small team rituals (Weekly check in, simple rules for making decisions) specifically designed to reduce first or second order disagreements that arise in their work.
5. Show more confidence to take something to HR or mediation when necessary (pre/post survey delta).
6. Write a one page manager appropriate 90 day action plan.

Pre work (To Maximise Live Time)
- 20min e Module: "Anatomy of Emotional Conflict" (short video + reflective quiz)
- One page team audit, the top three identified repeated conflict themes and / or previous tools tried?
- Quick pre program pulse survey, to capture self rated current conflict confidence, amidst most stressful workplace scenarios.

Session by session outline

Session 0: onboarding materials and facilitator prep (week before)
Participant pack, pre work instructions, workbook, psychological safety checklist, reading list
Facilitator to read team audits in advance; flag high risk cases that may need custom handling; liaison with HR for sensitive participants.

Session 1 (2 hours), Recognise: The terrain of emotional conflict
Objectives: Establish a common language; local drivers map.
Structure:
- 0 to 10 mins, Quick check in + learning goals.
- 10 to 25 mins, Short provocateur piece: why conflict is valuable, an opinion: "If there's no friction, you are not pushing anything important." (some will argue, and that's a discussion point).
- 25 to 45 mins, Micro lecturing: Where conflicts come from, internal (values, unmet needs), inter personal (differences of style), systemic (role ambiguity, work load). Fan real anonymised vignettes of past cohorts (we've done some similar work in Sydney councils and corporate teams).
- 45 to 75mins, Breakout clinics (3 to 4 people): the team goes through the disposition for either a) the 'one' desk audits they pre churned or b) we shell out later doc audit. Facilitator circulates, nudges diagnostic questions. Groups produce a one slide conflict resolution training map: triggers, typical escalation path, costs.
- 75 to 90 mins, Whole group: share/reflect, facilitator summarises patterns and introduces basic conflict model (trigger → emotion → behaviour → consequence).
- 90 to 100 mins, Micro practice, spotting cognitive distortions and hot thoughts + diary introduced.

Session 2 (2 hours) Respond: de escalation and communication tools in the moment
Objectives: Tangible exercises on tone, language, space and pacing.
Outline:
- 0 to 10 mins, Welcome back, quick look at practice and diary entries.
- 10 to 30 mins, De escalation framework: breathe, name, neutralise, redirect (on camera demos) [You could replace this with your own model]
- 30 to 60 mins, Roleplay set 1: brief timed scenarios (two rounds of eight minutes). Partner people up; one is leader, the other team member. Observers are scored with rubric (calm tone, reflective listening, boundary clarity)
- 60 to 75 mins, Facilitator coaching: immediate micro feedback on short clips or live observation
- 75 to 95 mins, Communication toolkit: "I" statements, curiosity questions, reflective summarising, non violent wording
Quick scripts for:
- Missed deadlines
- Favouritism
- Emotional coldness
- 95 to 120 mins, Planning for application practice, where each person captures three lines they will use next time conflict arises. Same buddy pair make a commitment to check in with their colleague

Session 3 (2 hours), Team rituals, boundaries and escalation routes
Aim: Ensure our reaction becomes an extended team process; so that when thought necessary we escalate.
Structure:
- 0 to 15 mins, Quick Recap and evidence of change (people report back on a small win)
- 15 to 35 mins, Workshop: designing two, micro rituals (eg. 5 to 10min weekly check in; anonymous pulse; decision protocol) Facilitator offers templates for boundary conversations that have been tested in Australia's biggest retailers and it's smallest professional service firms.
- 35 to 60 mins, Boundary conversation lab, structured 12min role play per person (participant has an assertive boundary conversation with a trained actor/facilitator). Observer rates against the rubric and provides one specific commendation + one developmental pointer.
- 60 to 80 mins, When to call HR & mediation: practical triggers, documentation, timing, third party roles. We stress: this isn't about failure, rather escalation is good governance.
- 80 to 100 mins, Action plan: (managers) draft a brief 90 day implementation plan including KPIs and a manager buddy for accountability.
- 100 to 120 mins (Close): commitment statements, briefing how to complete post program surveys if taken up, invites to the voluntary in person consolidation days/options.

Optional half day consolidation (in person)
- Audience: local cohorts in Sydney and Melbourne.
- Format: 3 hour experiential lab, deeper roleplays with professional actors, shadow coaching, a "hard conversation" triad where each participant is the leader / recipient / observer.
- Outcome: participants demonstrate at least one resolved team micro conflict using new rituals and scripts.

Training materials and resources
- Participant workbook (digital + hard copy), theory summaries, scripts, checklists, meeting templates.
- Video library, short demonstrations and micro lectures for quick refreshers.
- Roleplay scripts bank, tailored to healthcare, retail, professional services.
- One page manager guide, signs of escalation, inclusion assist tips; how to debrief post incident.
- After prop: two 45 minute manager clinics (tele) at weeks 4 & 8 to trouble shoot implementation.

Facilitation team and credentials
- Lead facilitator: senior practitioner having 15+ years practising in leadership development and mediation training.
- Co facilitator: applied psychologist specialising in emotion regulation & group dynamics.
- On site consolidation room: skilled actors certified mediator), we employ our own, methinks nationally derived examples from Sydney council teams and Melbourne based professional services firms, naturally anonymised and positive).

Assessment and measurement approach
- Pre post self efficacy survey (confidence managing conflict, 1 to 10 scale).
- Behavioural observation ratings observed incidents/rubric of key areas from roleplays.
- 90 day follow up pulse: manager observed incidents, perceived intensity, reoccurrence rate, turnover risk warning signs.
- Qualitative narrative via structured reflective prompts.
- Optional: cost benefit readout for HR (time to resolution/absenteeism flags) for orgs who are interested in ROI modelling.

Cost effectiveness, practical considerations and logistics
- Cost of program: $495 including GST per head, min 8 max 20 pax).
- Platform: Zoom Pro Includes virtual training Professional Venue Hire for optional in person delivery in Sydney CBD or Melbourne Docklands (venue fee charged separately) The cost of printing materials and actors for validation also project specific costs (ie actor fees should cover all consultations attributable to their attendance), you just invoice this on a different line item.

Risk Management and Psychological Safety
- Prescreening: HR confidentiality agreement and have a clear safety reporting line. If issues are acute, participants are directed to EAPs.
- Participants can "pass" at any time during roleplays; facilitators track affect and process immediately after.
- Facilitator code of conduct: be vulnerable, but also don't engage in therapy interventions, escalate concerns to HR/people counsel.

Accessibility and cultural considerations
- Culturally safe mods for First Nations staff and multicultural teams, including facilitators with training in inclusive practice.
- Flexibility around language: plain English scripts, guidelines on how to adapt the tone to fit different cultures.
- Considerations for neurodiversity: padded time for processing and written prompts that are explicitly stated.

Sample Activities (timings and facilitator remarks)
- "Trigger Mapping" (30 mins): Silent reflection (5 mins), pair share (10 mins), small group synthesis/discussion (15 mins). Prompt: "Tell us about the last time a little bit of an issue you didn't address up front turned into something big. What was the first irritant?", name and support the experience of these feelings as you breathe, work through a structure (such as sandwich) to outline times the feeling has already come up: "I got angry when I told Christie no but had to keep waiting because I needed four people." These aren't trivial; they're tiny specifics. I'll pause for 20 seconds.
- "Structured Empathy" (20 minutes): Listen 90 seconds, reflect for 60 seconds and ask one curiosity question. Exchange roles.
- "Boundary Blueprint" (40 mins): Participant creates their personal boundary script, working from a template: Situation, Impact, Request, Consequence.

Manager engagement and sponsor pack
- Executive one pager: why the program is good for Business (linked to retention, productivity)
- Manager briefing session (30 mins), how to support your people through this process and maintain rituals
- Template for manager check in (5 questions to run fortnightly).

Follow up and continued reinforcement
- 8 week micro learning drip emails: two minute videos and reminders for action with less than one minute time commitment
- Optional 6 week peer of practice group (virtual, 45 minutes) to celebrate wins or troubleshoot one ongoing challenge
- Quarterly refreshers that kick off meetings for those teams with higher levels of conflict recidivism

Evaluation criteria (what success looks like)
- Immediate: 30%+ improvement in self rated conflict confidence (pre/post).
- Short term (90 days): Reduction in the subjective intensity of perception around a recurring, chronic conflict; managers report one sustained ritual is adopted.
- Long term: fewer instances of high intensity escalation; higher Work Engagement scores among target groups.
- Note that you can start with these targets as aspirational, and work from baseline HR KPIs up or down until you find something achievable(ish), using standard error adjustment tables to adjust your expectation interval based on what you think it will cost to accomplish.

Opinions you don't hear every day
We believe roleplay is the most under leveraged tool in leadership development. If you dare to spend time practising uncomfortable conversations, you'll be miles ahead. A few execs refer to this sort of roleplay as theatre, they're dead wrong.

Common objections and how we overcome them
"We have no time.", Short, spaced sessions make it more possible to show up and keep showing up.
"Conflict can't be taught.", True; although response management and team process building are teachable. We are technique + culture designers.
"We'd rather have a third party help us with difficult cases.", We do this for the most serious problems, but upskilling leaders spares specialists and accelerates resolution.

Industry modules: for healthcare you can include a suite of scripts, retail features the tug of war in the backroom, professional services focuses on billable hour disputes
Leadership level: With senior exec programmes and board level mediation practice
Add ons: facilitated team diagnostic survey (deeper), on site mediation days, bespoke policy refresh etc.

Facilitator notes and tips
- Keep your language concrete not psycho babble.
- Model small victories, try beginning meetings with quick checking in moments.
- Look for power imbalances in roleplays; give junior leaders safe practice by mixing it up.
- Use humour lightly to diffuse, do not parody clichés, unless you are careful.

Leave behind resources for team
- One page digital "Conflict Minimiser" poster for team rooms
- "Quick Scripts": 10 lines to use now (assertive, curious, de escalating)
- Manager checklist for 90 day ritual implementation

Delivery to the client
- Participant workbooks and facilitator guides.
- Aggregated (anonymised) case studies and options for next moves.
- 90 day pilot implementation review report template.

Why we run this the way we do, a brief rationale
We have organisations that are willing to accept unresolved emotional conflict because they don't seem really bad enough. We've done this work across Australia for many years; practical, bite sized learning combined with in the moment application and manager follow up creates real change. We like a combination of psychological understanding and practical workplace steps, otherwise you are either in therapy or at labour law. Each one has its uses, but neither on its own ends day to day friction.

Next steps if you're interested in booking
Send team audit along with preferred dates; we'll create a bespoke quote and 30 minute scoping conversation with your HR sponsor. We will also give you a sample roleplay script for your sector and a plain English summary on delegates.

Sources & Notes
- CPP Global, Workplace Conflict and How Businesses Can Harness It to Thrive, 2008. Stat quoted on extent and organisation cost.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020 to 21). Data: Psychological distress prevalence in the Australian population referenced.
- Internal experience: we have run similar programs for local government teams in Sydney, professional services teams in Melbourne and Brisbane, and anonymised examples inform practical templates used here.
- Length: pre formatted outline for developing into programmes, session plans agendas, participant handouts and manager briefings.