Conflict Management
Training Exercises and Resources

This exercise helps delegates to understand the importance of acknowledging the view of a person they are having a conversation with irrespective of whether they agree with it or not. The exercise helps to create a vivid example which can then be discussed and explored further.

The main aims are:

• Develop rapport through having a friendly conversation as opposed to being antagonistic with opposing views
• Improve listening skills
• Learn to listen and show that you are listening

A woman massages dummy ears with embedded super sensitive binaural microphones. Another presenter uses her nails on a wooden box to create a tapping sound. Someone squeezes shaving foam between her fingers and captures the sound effects. Another has discovered a jelly like toy in some toy store and is experimenting with it to see what sounds in generates.

This is ASMR and it stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. Search for “ASMR” online and especially on YouTube and you will be given thousands of videos offering you one form or another of stress-free relaxation. Video creators are hard at work churning one video after another and the world doesn’t seem to get enough of them. Many viewers tend to watch a favourite video over and over again or ask for specific variations and expect the creators to respond. What is going on?

The answer is simple; because watching these videos or listening to them makes people “happy”, “relaxed”, “euphoric” and “destressed.” The term ASMR was coined as early as 2010 but it has become ubiquitous thanks to the internet and how sub-cultures and societies form around common needs.

The mainstream media is now picking up on the phenomenon. It is not always sound either. There are videos where presenters move their fingers in front of the camera, effectively in front of your face and this leads to a hypnotic and mesmerising effect. Why people watch such videos?

This exercise helps delegates to explore the nature of a given topic. It helps generate a discussion around that topic and see how people view it differently. Through these discussions delegates can see if their views are markedly different from those of others and if so what it may suggest when they interact with others. The aim is to provide an insight into one’s own view of a given topic.

Many countries around the world regularly broadcast soap operas on TV; social programs which usually contain a lot of angry and emotional discussions between various extreme characters.

This exercise helps delegates to use the scenarios on such programs and turn them around with assertive communication.

This exercise helps delegates to understand the importance of working together and the destructive nature of having hidden agendas which can easily lead to conflicts and confrontations. It addresses many areas such as conflict management, assertiveness and persuasion skills.

In this exercise, delegates examine stereotypes and understand the implications of stereotyping. It helps them to discover on their own that stereotyping is highly subjective.

The aim of this exercise is to draw attention to the number of conflicts and similar stressful situations experienced by delegates in one week and use others in the group to come up with reasonable solutions for each conflict.

This activity helps the delegates to resolve their internal conflicts by treating them as external conflicts. Internal conflicts are those conflicts between and you and yourself. External conflicts are those between you and others. The exercises help participants to view and resolve such conflicts in a systematic way.

Avoiding communication barriers is a necessity in today’s business world. Not only it is critical to identify if these barriers exist, but also how to remove them or reduce their effect. This activity enables delegates to explore new solutions in overcoming communication and listening barriers.