510 Managing Conflict

Unit Overview

510 Managing Conflict is a unit within the CMI Level 5 module that helps to improve the understanding of different types of conflicts and the approaches essential in addressing the conflicts within the workplace. Failing to address these conflicts effectively could affect the performance of the team or organisation in general by compromising the ability to collaboratively work on preset goals and objectives within the team or organisation.

As such, managers need to master their role in influencing the work environment by creating effective strategies and interventions that can be used to effectively address different forms of conflict that could arise within the organisation. This involves being able to identify the causes of conflict before they have a negative effect on the individuals hence putting up effective interventions for the shortcomings arising as a result of the conflicts.  

510 Managing Conflict in the Workplace is, therefore, a critical unit within this module that build the capability and skill of the leaders in handling conflicts. The unit aims at improving the awareness and knowledge that is required to effectively manage conflicts at work and supporting individuals to embrace the differences that could result in conflicts, which is a requirement of the practising or potential first-line managers within the organisation. The unit is taught in 4 hours of guided learning and contributes 1 credit value towards the completion of the module.

Suitability of the Unit

Conflict management is a critical step in improving the performance of a team or organisation in general. It is a process that is reburied by any manager to ensure that they are able to create a conducive and supportive environment for the employees. As such, 510 Managing Conflict is a critical unit in promoting leadership and management training to ensure that individuals within positions of leadership have the ability to effectively influence the performance of others through resolving various forms of conflict that arise within the organisation.

It also involves setting an environment that focuses on appreciating diversity based on the individual and cultural factors of the different people within the workplace to ensure they are able to positively contribute to the work teams without conflicting with each other. This unit is significantly designed to meet the learning needs of the first-line managers, junior managers, and team leaders. These are groups of leaders within the organisation who have the responsibility of handling issues that may arise within the lower levels of the organisation.

Team elders and junior managers, for example, have the responsibility of overseeing project teams that comprise a group of individuals, and it is important to ensure they have the ability to effectively manage conflicts and causes of conflicts within their teams. However, the unit is not limited to these stakeholders. Other managers at higher levels can pursue the unit to improve the ability to create an environment within their areas of operation that is based on diversity and integration hence addressing conflicts. Team members and employees can also pursue the unit to improve their understanding of the team and organisational environment to ensure ether are able to follow the set principles and modules.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the unit, the learners should be able to:

• Understand the different types of conflicts and their causes within the organisation

• Analyse the different stages of conflicts within the organisation

• Assess the impact that conflicts have on organisational performance

• Discuss processes that leaders can use to investigate conflict situations in the workplace and their areas of responsibility

• Evaluate the knowledge, skills, and behaviours required to ensure that conflicts are effectively managed within the organisation

• Show ability to handle conflict between employees in the areas of responsibility and identify approaches of reporting cases surpassing the leaders' area of authority to senior managers within the workplace

• Evaluate the use of different approaches and techniques within the workplace to resolve conflict within the workplace and in their areas of responsibility

• Monitor and evaluate the impact of conflict resolution techniques within the workplace and how this helps to improve individual and organisational performances within the workplace.

Key Learning Areas

510 Managing Conflict as a unit makes critical contributions in building the capabilities of leaders at lower levels to effectively play their managerial roles and facilitate the accomplishment of organisational goals and objectives. This unit is important in building this understanding and ensuring that the leaders understand both the personal and work-related causes of conflicts. In this area, the learners are trained on the possible causes of internal conflict, which may include personal values and business values.

The learner is also guided in understanding interpersonal conflicts that may arise due to personal differences and frictions, as well as the effect that these forms of conflict could have on the individuals. Before completing the unit, the learners must exhibit the ability to understand the different stages in the development of conflict and their responsibility to address the conflict by minimising or resulting it, as well as the techniques that they should use to achieve this goal.

Wrap Up

510 Managing Conflict is a critical unit that should build the theory and practice of the learners hence improving their performance within the work setting. On completing the unit, the learners are required to complete various forms of assessment that determine the mastery of theoretical and practical concepts. They are reburied to complete a written assessment that evaluates both theory and practice and gives an overview of the performance towards accomplishing learning goals and objectives.