1. Stress Reduction & Conflict Management Unit 3

2. Stress-Reduction Techniques Managers must ensure employee well-being and increase productivity, while at the same time balancing stress in the workplace Remember, excessive workload and too many hours at work are the leading causes of workplace stress.

3. Read: Creating a Family-Friendly Workplace

4. Highlights of Article… As mentioned in the above article, the following solutions are used to address work-life balance issues and the associated stress: wellness programs, meditation, time-management training, flexible work arrangements, Child-care and elder-care services.

5. Conflict Conflict arises in the workplace when there is a disagreement between two or more people on a significant issue. There are two types of conflicts which managers must handle, substantive conflict and emotional conflict.

6. Two Types of Conflict Substantive conflict involves disagreement over goals and tasks. Examples? Emotional conflict results from feelings of distrust, fear, anger, and resentment. Examples?

7. Conflict Management Styles Managers respond to conflict through different combinations of cooperative and assertive behaviours. These combinations are labelled: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. Read Conflict Management Strategy Revealed.

8. Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument Kenneth W. Thomas and Ralph H. Kilmann developed an assessment tool known as the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument that helps individuals identify their preferred method of dealing with conflict. You can view a sample TKI report at the Psychometrics Canada Ltd. website. http://www.psychometrics.com/en- us/assessments/thomas-kilmann.htmhttp://www.psychometrics.com/en- us/assessments/thomas-kilmann.htm

9. Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument

10. Practice Assist Kate Delgado at ATOM Communication Agency as she discovers the five different conflict management styles.conflict management styles Read the article entitled Conflict at Work.

11. Task Read the article Conflict in Workplace Teams - 5 Ways to Capitalize on Healthy Conflict and Make Better Decisions. Briefly describe a situation where you experienced healthy conflict that resulted in better decisions or a better outcome. This situation might be at work, at school, in a community group, sports team, or in your family.