Conflict, Challenge & Confrontation 2-day Workshop

Thursday 7^th & Friday 8^th February

10am to 5pm both days

£230 (self-funded)/ £253 (sponsored)

Workshop description

It is obvious that conflict occurs widely and in many situations and can be very destructive. This may be a team member who consistently and repeatedly is critical of work which the team is developing. Or it might be the situation in which several people in a group are effectively excluding one colleague from important decisions.

Conflict can also be energising, and creative in groups, teams and organisations. The ability to challenge and confront and be challenged is much needed particularly in leadership positions in groups and teams.

Group facilitators, team leaders and organisational consultants need to be comfortable handing this, understanding sources of conflict and common styles people use in conflict situations.

Learning more about conflict can help leaders create a safe enough space so that all participants can be heard, supported and enable the group or team to work more effectively.

Aims of the course are to: 

• experience, explore and enjoy the topic
• increase your range of skills in dealing with conflict
• enhance awareness of factors which affect you in dealing with conflict
• understand some sources of conflict
• increase acceptance and appreciation of difference

The programme: 

Day 1

• Conflict and challenge in context
• The psychological perspective – what affects my abilities in these areas?
• Skills development and feedback – how do I challenge and confront?
• Being in a group – meeting others directly

Day 2

• Sources of conflict, communication styles and strategies
• Effective confrontation – practice and opportunities for observation
• Dealing with difficult behaviours in groups
• The next step – taking the learning forward

Workshop method

The workshop will be stimulating, participative and experiential with theoretical input and an opportunity to share and learn with colleagues from different disciplines. There will be structured exercises, discussion and space to relate the learning to your particular group context. 

The aim of the workshop will be to help you develop your confidence, creativity and skills to engage with the challenging, changing group context in which you work. 

Please note that whilst this workshop has input from a gestalt perspective, it will include other appropriate theories relevant to groupwork practice. 

Tutor:

Michael Ellis MA, UKCP Registered, & BACP Registered practitioner is a psychotherapist, consultant and trainer with twenty years experience of working with groups and consulting to teams in various settings particularly in the public and voluntary sector.

Michael is a Director of the Gestalt Centre with an MA in Consultancy with Organisations from the Tavistock Clinic.  He is particularly interested in how our ideas and beliefs affect our interactions with others and how they affect the organisations we work in, as well as how individuals are affected by the organisations themselves.