✨ Activity: Workplace Conflict Resolution

Scenario Analysis

Now you will have an opportunity to review and analyze two scenarios. Write brief notes to the prompting questions in the downloadable worksheet (link below) or in your personal journal. There is no right or wrong way to answer the questions. This is a chance for you to reflect on your reactions through your answers to the questions and consider how you might approach perceived conflict differently.

Download the Conflict Resolution Worksheet (PDF)

Once you have a space to reflect and write your answers, move on to scenario 1.

Scenario 1

Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels

Think of a storyline that you imagine is transpiring in the above photo.

• What assumptions come to mind?
• Are they sitting in silence? How do you think they individually interpret silence? How do you interpret silence?
• Do you think this is a moment of conflict? 
• What nonverbal language is being communicated?
• How would you approach the situation if you were the person with his back facing us as the viewer?
• What question (or statement) could you use to open the line of communication?
• What are the mindsets and skills that could be demonstrated to navigate this situation?

Scenario 2

When you're ready to start this scenario, watch the short video.

Video by Yan Krukov from Pexels (00:12)

• What is a storyline that you deduce from watching this scene?
• What assumptions or narratives come to mind based on what you see?
• What feelings emerge for you?
• What do you interpret from the body language of the female character with long black hair and the male character?
• What modes of behaviour from the "TKI Conflict Model” are each of the characters exhibiting?
• How would you approach the situation if you were the female character with long black hair?
• What question (or statement) could the female character with long black hair ask the male character standing beside her?
• What are the mindsets and skills that could be demonstrated to navigate the conflict?

Open Questions or Statements

Conflict in the workplace can be challenging, especially if trust has been broken. To initiate and open a dialogue, leaning into conflict means taking a risk, being courageous and vulnerable.

Sometimes, just sometimes, we actually owe an apology due to our actions. We can open a dialogue by expressing an apology first.

To open the lines of communication, here are examples of questions or statements for everyday workplace scenarios*:

• “I’d like to talk to you about this morning’s meeting. Is there anything I need to repair or address? I wouldn’t want to snag our process."
• “I’ve been feeling some tension, could we meet to talk?”
• “I’d like to understand what happened so that we don’t have this happen again and I can learn from this situation."

Conflict could arise from a mismatch of intention and impact.

Here are a couple of ways to open the dialogue for two different situations*:

• “It was my intention to gain some clarity about “X” and I can see my words may have negatively  impacted you.”
• “I was impacted by what you said at our team meeting today. I feel embarrassed and humiliated. What was your intention?”

Mindset and Skills Essentials

Workplace conflict resolution requires a high level of emotional intelligence, a willingness to be authentic, and the vulnerability to clarify a misunderstanding.

Consider using RRU's Teamwork Resources, Addressing Team Obstacles tools to take appropriate steps and hold space for difficult conversations.

Be fully present; practice radical listening (Van Nieuwerburgh & Biswas-Diener, 2025) to best understand the other person’s perspective and needs, rather than focusing on your response or becoming defensive.

Next, continue on to Summary: Workplace Conflict Resolution