Courses

What if you could ideally reframe any workplace conflict? Communicate more effectively in hard conversations? What if you could resolve arguments faster while building better relationships with colleagues? This course is designed for anyone who manages people, hopes to be a manager, or generally wants to work on their conflict and communication skills. Pulling foundational concepts from the fields of conflict mediation, psychology, and neurobiology (e.g., the stress hormone pathway and its effects on cognition), this course will provide practical skills and frameworks—such as needs identification, the Johari window, and de-escalation techniques—to better manage workplace and interpersonal conflict, both one on one and in groups.

In this course, we will build a foundational understanding of conflict mediation, examine workplace power dynamics, and explore skills for working optimally with colleagues while growing cultural awareness. Together, we will learn how to create psychological safety by giving each person space to be heard and to respond. We will rescope large, unwieldy conflicts into smaller, discrete conversations and practice navigating interpersonal conflict with greater cultural and psychological awareness. Through a combination of lecture, group work, and interactive exercises framed around real-world examples from startup and corporate contexts, you will leave the course equipped with practical tools to de-escalate conflict at work, navigate challenging workplace conversations, and express your needs and expectations with clarity and purpose.