COMS 4322-10-1Managing Conflict in the Training ClassroomCOMS 4322--Chapter 10Conflict defined: Disharmony between individuals as a result of differing goals, objectives,values, beliefs, attitudes.Interpersonal Conflict: occurs between people and is the result of one person blocking theachievement of the goals of at least one other personAnticipate Problem Trainees:1. Quiet Trainees—- Avoid constantly calling on them- Avoid assigned seating- Avoid using participation as a means for evaluating- Make communication a rewarding experience- Avoid ambiguity, novelty, and evaluation- Increase trainees’ control over success- Use the think pair, share technique2. Talkative Trainees—- Use gate-keeping techniques to control the flow of participation.3. Bigheaded Trainees—- Meet their control, inclusion, and affection needs- Reduce your communication with them- Move away from them physically- Use their expertise but channel it so it’s not disruptive4. Negative Trainees—- Make the training relevant- Give trainees some options- Acknowledge their less-than-positive experiences, that negative experiencesare inevitable, and empathize with them- Place negatives trainees’ unfortunate experiences in context5. Aggressive Trainees—- Try to establish some degree of rapport- Be firm if needed; do not let them disrupt the trainingManaging Specific Conflict BehaviorsSometimes even the most prepared trainer runs into difficult behavior in the classroom.Never humiliated or embarrass a trainee if at all possible. Here are some fairly commonproblems and suggestions for managing them:1. Carrying on a side conversation—Don’t assume they are being deliberativelydisrespectful; could be many reasons for the talking. Slowly move toward the talkerwhile speaking and normally this stops it immediately. Or ask the person(s) if theywould like to share their ideas with the class.2. Monopolizing the discussion—This person may want/need a lot of attention; orcould just be very enthusiastic. Tell this person that their comments areappreciated and valuable but you would also like to hear from others. Play adelicate gatekeeper.COMS 4322-10-23. Complaining—Don’t assume they don’t have a valid complaint. Maybe the trainingis simply not meeting their needs. Ask the rest of the class if they feel the sameway. It not, try to speak with this person in private during a break to determinewhat the problem is.4. Daydreaming—This person could be distracted; could be tired or may have anynumber of reasons for being “somewhere else.” Us the person’s name to get theirattention. Change activities to something more active, if necessary. If this doesn’twork, speak to the person at the break. 5. Heckling you—Either this person wants attention or doesn’t want to be in thetraining. Do not get upset; don’t’ take the bait and respond emotionally. Stay calmand ask this person what their thoughts are on the issue. Or bring this to a close tomove to new area. If necessary, speak to this person on private during a break.6. Challenging your knowledge—This person might be convinced they know more thanyou or just wants to show off their knowledge. If you think this person really is anexpert and is sincere, try to elicit their input when possible. In other words,genuinely stroke their ego. If you doubt their expertise, ask this person to providemore details and how they know what they know. In other words, call their bluff.They usually back down.7. Clowning around—This person may just want attention or is uncomfortable aboutsomething. Give the person attention in a learning-oriented way by having themanswer a question or be a team leader in a group exercise. This might just be funnyand needs no further response. 8. Making insensitive remarks—It’s possible the speaker didn’t realize the insensitivityor the words just came out wrong. Don’t immediately humiliate or chastise theperson; give them a chance to retract or rephrase. If not, be very clear that you willnot tolerate bigoted or otherwise nasty or inappropriate comments. If this personpersists with such comments, ask them to leave the training. 9. Doing other work—This person might be bush with other work from the job and istrying to get caught up. Or may not be interested in the training. Talk to this personat the break to determine what the problem is. If this person is truly under jobpressure, then they need to take this training at a later time.10. Not talking—This person might be shy or simply doesn’t have much to say. Don’tpressure the person to speak if they prefer not to. Try to get to interact at a greatercomfort level by participating in small groups or in pairs. 11. Withdrawing—This person doesn’t want to be here, is not feeling well, or feels leftout for some reason. Try to ease into the discussion or talk to at the break to findout what the problem is. 12. Missing the Point—This person was either on the wrong track or just misunderstood.Try to find something this person said that you can agree with and then correct themistake. Never laugh or make them feel small. Try to offer a new way to look at theissue and mention how this misunderstanding is not unique.Understanding Conflict Management Styles: What is important is to understand thetrainees’ communication styles, you can better adapt to which conflict management styleyou’d use.COMS 4322-10-31. Non-confrontational conflict management—we just avoid dealing with it, or given into it.2. Confrontational conflict management—is a win-lose approach; one wins at the otherone’s expense.3. Cooperative conflict management—a set of problems to be solved in which eachparty can come away with something to save face and feel okay with the outcome.Using Four Conflict Management Skills: If the trainee is bothering you, the odds arethat he or she is bothering others as well. (1) Managing Emotions—Don’t blow up at the trainee; keep your emotions undercontrol at all times. Don’t become part of the problem. Some tips to follow to ensure thatdoesn’t happen:- Take time to cool off- Select the right time and place to address the conflict- Remain nonverbally responsive- Plan the conversation (if possible) with the problem-trainee.(2) Describe