Managing Conflict to
Create Positive
Outcomes
Participant Guide
600 East Superior Street, Suite 404
Duluth, Minnesota 55802
Phone: 218-727-9390
Fax: 218-727-9392
rhrc@ruralcenter.org
www.ruralcenter.org
Table of Contents
About the National Rural Health Resource Center ............................................... 2
Collaboration Toolkit Overview ......................................................................... 2
Modules in the Toolkit .................................................................................. 2
Using Moodle to Enhance Your Learning ......................................................... 2
Module Introduction ....................................................................................... 3
Lesson 1: The Importance of Conflict ................................................................ 5
Activity 1: The Nature of Conflict ................................................................... 5
Activity 2: The Emotional Side of Conflict ....................................................... 6
Conflict Progression ..................................................................................... 7
Lesson 2: Managing Conflicts........................................................................... 8
Activity 1: Conflict Styles Assessment Follow-Up ............................................. 8
Effective Uses of Conflict Management Styles ................................................. 9
Working Through Conflict ........................................................................... 10
Steps Toward Resolution ............................................................................ 10
Lesson 3: Mastering Conflict and Disagreements on Teams ............................... 11
Activity 1: Team Conflict Assessment........................................................... 11
Team Assessment Debrief .......................................................................... 12
Activity 2: Conflict Continuum ..................................................................... 13
Team Conflict Resolution Model ................................................................... 14
Activity 3: Team Conflict Resolution Model ................................................... 15
Insights and Reflections ................................................................................ 16
Appendix – Activities on Moodle ..................................................................... 17
Team Conflict Assessment .......................................................................... 17
Team Conflict Resolution Model ................................................................... 18
Script to Work Through Disagreements or Conflicts ....................................... 19
Additional Resources for Mastering Conflict ................................................... 20
Managing Conflict to Create Positive Outcomes Participant Guide
1
ABOUT THE NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH RESOURCE
CENTER
The National Rural Health Resource Center (The Center) is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to sustaining and improving health care in rural
communities. As the nation’s leading technical assistance and knowledge
center in rural health, The Center focuses on five core areas:
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Performance Improvement
Health Information Technology
Recruitment & Retention
Community Health Assessments
Networking
You can learn more about The Center by visiting www.ruralcenter.org.
COLLABORATION TOOLKIT OVERVIEW
MODULES IN THE TOOLKIT
The National Rural Health Resource Center has developed a six-module
toolkit on the topic of building and maintaining healthy collaborations. While
the toolkit focusses on the specific needs of rural health networks, their
directors, members, and stakeholders, anyone with a desire to build strong
collaborations will find useful tools and instruction.
The modules in the Collaboration Toolkit include:
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Collaborating for Mutual Success
Leading Collaboration
Building Trust in Collaborative Partnerships
Managing Conflict to Create Positive Outcomes
Achieving Commitment
Maintaining Collaboration through Transitions
USING MOODLE TO ENHANCE YOUR LEARNING
Moodle is a learning management system used by The Center. Your
instructor will provide you with instructions on how to access Moodle, and
how it will be used to enhance your learning, collaborate with your peers,
and receive constructive feedback from Center staff.
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MODULE INTRODUCTION
Module Overview
Managing Conflict to Create Positive Outcomes is the first of two modules on
effective communication in the context of fostering collaborations within and
among rural health networks. The second module in the two-part series is
called Achieving Commitment.
Conflict and disagreement cannot be avoided completely, nor should they be.
They are a necessary part of any organization and relationship. There is
much to gain from experiencing them, from expanding ideas and plans, to
strengthening and improving relationships.
The key to demonstrating leadership and furthering collaboration when
conflicts and disagreements arise is how we harness value, benefit, and
opportunity from them and steer the collaboration away from potential
destructiveness and instead towards constructive outcomes.
Module Goals
The purpose of this module is to present ways to address conflict and
disagreements so that they can be used constructively, that is, with the
ultimate outcome benefitting relationships, collaborating parties, and the
goals they wish to achieve together.
Participants first learn about the nature of conflict. The module then covers
tools and strategies to address disagreements as needed, managing conflicts
that disagreements may cause, and effectively applying several personal
conflict management styles. Tools are provided to help work through conflict
and disagreements productively.
Module Pre-Work
Conflict Styles Assessment - Prior to the session, you will have completed
the Thomas-Killmann Conflict Mode Instrument. This instrument consists of
thirty "forced choice" items. Your choices reveal how you tend to manage
conflict. The facilitator will discuss the instrument and results during the
session.
Module Post-Work
Team Conflict Assessment - One of the first steps in a team’s ability to
quickly and productively handle conflict is to self-assess its current “conflict
quotient.” This assessment contains eight items that will help your team
determine the degree to which trust is present among team members.
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Team Conflict Resolution Model - This model shows the various types of
conflicts and obstacles you may face as you traverse team conflicts, and how
to resolve them.
Script to Look Beyond Disagreements or Conflicts - These phrases are
helpful in defusing conflict, encouraging differences of opinion, and keeping
discussions positive and productive.
Module Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to:

Analyze past conflicts to make improved decisions. We have all
had conflicts that were managed well, and conflicts that could have
been managed more effectively. We will learn from our past successes
and our challenges.

Identify and apply your conflict style. We will discuss effective use
and ineffective overuse of your conflict style.

Assess a team's ability to manage conflict and disagreement.
You will assess your team’s current ways of dealing with conflict and
disagreement. We will discuss strategies to help your network team.

Identify what affects your approach to conflict. You completed an
assessment that revealed your conflict style. You will continue that
learning by examining what events have helped form your approach
toward conflict and disagreement. You will also be able to replicate this
activity with your network team.

Analyze and resolve a conflict issue affecting a team. You will
identify a current or past team struggle, identify the obstacles that
contributed to the struggle, and begin to form a strategy for
overcoming them.
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LESSON 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF CONFLICT
Take notes on the discussion in the space below.
ACTIVITY 1: THE NATURE OF CONFLICT
Instructions: Answer the questions in the space provided.
Think about a past workplace conflict or disagreement that all parties
involved would say was handled well. What was the nature of the conflict?
How, if at all, did it escalate? What did you do to arrive at the outcome that
was eventually achieved?
Now, consider another workplace conflict or disagreement that at least one of
the parties involved would likely say could have been handled better. What
was the nature of this conflict? How, if at all, did it escalate? What could you
have done differently to produce a better outcome?
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ACTIVITY 2: THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF CONFLICT
Instructions: Answer the questions in the space provided.
Thinking back on the two examples from the previous page, write some
words to describe the conflict that was handled well and resulted in
something constructive.
Write some words to describe the conflict that wasn't handled well.
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CONFLICT PROGRESSION
Please take notes on the Five Levels of Conflict Progression in the space
provided below.
Crisis
Tension
Misunderstanding
An Incident
Discomfort
Thinking back on the conflict that was not handled well, what level did it
reach? Were there signs earlier on that would have led you to handling the
conflict at a less emotional level?
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LESSON 2: MANAGING CONFLICTS
ACTIVITY 1: CONFLICT STYLES ASSESSMENT FOLLOW-UP
Instructions: Answer the questions in the space provided.
Refer to the Conflict Styles Assessment you completed as pre-work and recall
your conflict response style, which is Avoiding, Accommodating,
Compromising, Competing, or Collaborating.
1. With your typical approach to conflict in mind, describe one work or nonwork example where your preferred style would result in a positive outcome.
2. What downside, if any, is there to an over-reliance on your typical
approach?
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EFFECTIVE USES OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES
Complete the table below during the discussion.
Style
Avoiding
Uses
Overuse
Accommodating
Compromising
Competing
Collaborating
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WORKING THROUGH CONFLICT
Why do people (ourselves included) sometimes seem unwilling to work
through a conflict?
STEPS TOWARD RESOLUTION
1. Think well of the other person
2. Assume positive intent
3. Recognize and comment on a particular skill or talent
4. Demonstrate forgiveness
5. Maintain friendly contact on other issues
6. Offer to help where the other person is struggling
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LESSON 3: MASTERING CONFLICT AND DISAGREEMENTS
ON TEAMS
ACTIVITY 1: TEAM CONFLICT ASSESSMENT
Instructions: Use the scale below to indicate how each statement applies to
your network team. Be sure to evaluate the statements honestly and without
over-thinking your answers.
3 = Usually
2 = Sometimes
1 = Rarely
____ 1. Team members are passionate and unguarded in their discussion of
issues
____ 2. Team meetings are interesting and compelling (not boring)
____ 3. During team meetings, the most important and difficult issues are
discussed
____ 4. Team members voice their opinions even at the risk of causing
disagreement
____ 5. During discussions, team members challenge one another about how
they arrived at their conclusions and opinions
____ 6. Team members solicit one another’s opinions during meetings
____ 7. Team members communicate unpopular opinions to the group
____ 8. When conflict occurs, the team confronts and deals with the issue
before moving to another subject
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TEAM ASSESSMENT DEBRIEF
Instructions: Discuss the following questions with another colleague in the
session.
What are some possible reasons for either your high or low rating in this
area?
Was there a time when your team wasn’t as challenged by conflicts? Did they
speak freely and unguardedly around each other?
What are some opportunities to improve your team’s ability to handle
disagreements?
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ACTIVITY 2: CONFLICT CONTINUUM
Take notes on the discussion below.
Constructive
Destructive
Artificial Harmony
Personal Attacks
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TEAM CONFLICT RESOLUTION MODEL
Take notes on the discussion in the space provided.
Issue Definition: This is where you want to be, that is, talking about what is
important to the team, and keeping focus on the issue and not the individual.
Informational Obstacles: These are the easiest and most comfortable to discuss
because they actually relate to the issue at hand. To engage in the kind of conflict
that achieves resolution, team must exchange information, facts, opinions, and
perspectives. Most believe they are doing this even when one of the other obstacles
gets in the way.
Environmental Obstacles: These have nothing to do with the issue being
discussed, but involve the atmosphere in which the discussion is taking place.
Examples include physical space, amount of time, someone’s mood, culture, a
pending distraction (such as a layoff or reorganization).
Relationship Obstacles: These have to do with problems or issues between the
very people involved in the discussion or conflict. It may be a difference in style, an
unresolved legacy event, someone’s reputation (warranted or not), a person’s title
or department.
Individual Obstacles: These exist because one particular person in the discussion
has a deficiency or quality that inhibits healthy conversation, and include amount of
experience, knowledge, self-esteem, or motives and values different from the rest
of the group.
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ACTIVITY 3: TEAM CONFLICT RESOLUTION MODEL
Instructions: Select an issue that your team (or the network as a whole) has
wrestled with recently – one that was (or continues to be) particularly difficult to
resolve. The more difficult and complicated the issue, the better.
List the obstacles that were (or continue to be present) during discussions about
this issue.
What impact did/do these various obstacles have on the team’s ability to make
decisions?
What can we do to handle obstacles better? What can we do to improve the way we
engage in conflict and make decisions for this and future issues?
Managing Conflict to Create Positive Outcomes
Participant Guide
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INSIGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
Instructions: Use the space below to write a brief answer to the questions.
In what ways can you apply what you’ve learned today to be a more effective
network director?
What strengths as a network director did you learn about yourself today?
What opportunities to improve as a network director did you learn about yourself
today?
What key insights did you have?
What new goals will you sent to help you apply what you’ve learned?
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Participant Guide
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APPENDIX – ACTIVITIES ON MOODLE
TEAM CONFLICT ASSESSMENT
Time: 5 minutes to complete the assessment, 20-30 minutes to debrief.
Purpose: One of the first steps in a team’s ability to quickly and productively
handle conflict is to self-assess its current “conflict quotient.” This assessment
contains eight items for determining the degree to which trust is present among
team members.
Instructions: Use the scale below to indicate how each statement applies to your
network team. Be sure to evaluate the statements honestly and without overthinking your answers.
3 = Usually
2 = Sometimes
1 = Rarely
____ 1. Team members are passionate and unguarded in their discussion of issues
____ 2. Team meetings are interesting and compelling (not boring)
____ 3. During team meetings, the most important and difficult issues are
discussed
____ 4. Team members voice their opinions even at the risk of causing
disagreement
____ 5. During discussions, team members challenge one another about how they
arrived at their conclusions and opinions
____ 6. Team members solicit one another’s opinions during meetings
____ 7. Team members communicate unpopular opinions to the group
____ 8. When conflict occurs, the team confronts and deals with the issue before
moving to another subject
What are some possible reasons for either our high or low rating in any given area?
Was there a time when our team wasn’t challenged by conflicts?
What are some opportunities to improve our team’s ability to handle
disagreements?
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TEAM CONFLICT RESOLUTION MODEL
Time: 20-60 minutes, depending how complex the issue and the obstacles.
Purpose: Once a team is able to identify the obstacle that is preventing productive
dialog, then they can all band together to focus on dealing with the obstacle. It is
also helpful to learn from the past to prevent repeating history.
Instructions: As a team, choose an issue that the team or the network as a whole
has wrestled with recently – one that was particularly difficult to resolve. Chart your
answers to the following directives and create an action plan from them. This
activity uses the Team Conflict Resolution Model, which is provided below the bullet
points for your convenience.

List the obstacles that were (or continue to be present) during discussions
about this issue.

Describe the impact these various obstacles had on the team’s ability to
make decisions.

Describe what can be done to handle these obstacles better. What can we do
to improve the way we engage in conflict and make decisions for this and
future issues?
Issue Definition: This is where you want to be, that is, talking about what is
important to the team, and keeping focus on the issue and not the individual.
Informational Obstacles: These are the easiest and most comfortable to discuss
because they actually relate to the issue at hand. To engage in the kind of conflict
that achieves resolution, team must exchange information, facts, opinions, and
perspectives. Most believe they are doing this even when one of the other obstacles
gets in the way.
Environmental Obstacles: These have nothing to do with the issue being
discussed, but involve the atmosphere in which the discussion is taking place.
Examples include physical space, amount of time, someone’s mood, culture, a
pending distraction (such as a layoff or reorganization).
Relationship Obstacles: These have to do with problems or issues between the
very people involved in the discussion or conflict. It may be a difference in style, an
unresolved legacy event, someone’s reputation (warranted or not), a person’s title
or department.
Individual Obstacles: These exist because one particular person in the discussion
has a deficiency or quality that inhibits healthy conversation, and include amount of
experience, knowledge, self-esteem, or motives and values different from the rest
of the group.
Managing Conflict to Create Positive Outcomes
Participant Guide
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SCRIPT TO WORK THROUGH DISAGREEMENTS OR CONFLICTS
Purpose: Consider using the following phrases to defuse conflicts, encourage
differences of opinions for constructive discussions, and to keep discussions positive
and productive.
Instructions: Review the scripts and try using them in your meetings and
conversations.
Find options
You can't do that around here.
What would happen if we did?
He (she) would never...
How can we find ways for it to happen?
They always...
Are there any times they don't?
We've tried that already.
What was the outcome?
This is the only way to do it
That's an option. What else could we consider?
Redirect - Move to the positive
It will never work.
What would it take to make it work?
I won't...
What would make you willing?
It's a failure.
How could it work?
It's disastrous.
What would make it better?
He's (she's) useless.
What is he (she) doing that is acceptable?
It's impossible.
What would it take to make it possible?
I can't.
You can't see a way to do it now.
I don't want to.
What would you like?
Go back to legitimate needs and concerns
He's (she's) a hopeless case!
It's hard to see how to work with him (her)?
You fool (and other insults)!
What do we need to do to sort this out?
How dare you do such a thing!
What do you dislike about it?
It should be done my way.
What makes that seem the best option?
He/she doesn't do their fair share. Where do you think his/her priorities may lie?
Managing Conflict to Create Positive Outcomes
Participant Guide
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR MASTERING CONFLICT
Below include additional activities you may wish to use with your network teams.
Instructions for each are provided.
Conflict Profiling
Reproduce the Thomas-Killmann Conflict Mode Instrument and discuss results in
your team.
Conflict Norming
A leader can do this activity with his or her team during a team meeting.
Team members individually write down their preferences relating to acceptable and
unacceptable behaviors around discussion and debate. Some might include

The kind of language

Tone of voice

Emotions

Expectation of involvement and participation

Timeliness of responding
After everyone has given their answers, two questions for discussion are 1) “Where
are our responses similar?” and 2) “Where are our responses different?” Answering
those questions will identify a collective team preference with respect to conflict.
These should be agreed upon, recorded, and distributed.
Conflict Mining
Remember, you want conflict. You want disagreement. As a leader, you may have
to make sure that happens. You may have to extract disagreements. One way to do
this in relative safety (if team members aren’t willing to bring things up vocally no
matter how much permission you give them) is to have team members raise
objections in writing. A common way to pursue this is to get input from individuals
prior to the meeting, and then report what you heard but not disclose sources.
However, if you have built trust, this shouldn’t be a concern.
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Participant Guide
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