The conflict resolution toolbox
What if you felt nimble and prepared when managing difficult conversations because you had a practical framework to guide you?
Great conflict resolution is about more than improving communication. It’s about helping people keep their balance in the middle of difficulty. It’s about helping the conversation unfold in a way that great results are achievable. And it’s about being strategic in the way you think about and lead the conversation.
What if you could tap into the knowledge and wisdom of a professional mediator anytime you lead a meeting or mediate a dispute?
The Conflict Resolution Toolbox is all about the tools, techniques, and insights to help you be a smart, nimble problem-solver, whether you mediate informally in your leadership role, or whether you mediate professionally (or want to).
Unleash the power of 100+ conflict resolution tools, techniques, and insights at your fingertips
The Conflict Resolution Toolbox is organized into five “compartments”
Toolbox foundations: How to use the tools effectively
Tools are only useful when we choose the right tool for the task, learn how to use it well, and use it at the right time. The Foundations section of Toolbox will help you learn how to do just that.
Communication tools: How to express ourselves and exchange information
There’s a lot of background noise in conflict, negotiations, and other difficult conversations. What we say, how we say it, how well we listen, and how well we bring our curiosity to the table can make the situation better — or worse. The communication tools I’ve selected help quiet the background noise and enable us to detect the core signals needing attention.
Self-mastery tools: How to stay centered under pressure
The best conflict resolution and communication skills in the world are of little use if we can’t access them when we need them most. Self-mastery is about being able to think clearly, respond nimbly, and maintain our equilibrium in the face of difficult and stressful interactions.
Mental model tools: How to make sense of things
We use mental models to make sense of our world and experiences. Mental models are the beliefs, frameworks, mental images, and generalizations we use to understand and explain what’s happening. Specific mental models aren’t “wrong” or “right.” A mental model that’s helpful in one circumstance can be ineffective in another.
Process tools: How to orchestrate the conversation
We can improve the quality of decisions and increase the likelihood that agreements will stand the test of time by the way we structure the conversation, frame the problem to be solved, and generate solutions. The process tools I’ve selected help you be more strategic during problem-solving.
Develop your conflict resolution artistry with help from a trusted source
For over two decades Dr. Tammy Lenski has been helping people work out the friction and disagreements that get in the way of career, teamwork, and healthy relationships. A nationally recognized, award-winning mediator and executive coach based in New Hampshire, USA, Tammy has taught conflict resolution at four U.S. universities and was co-founder of the world’s first master’s degree in mediation. Tammy’s two conflict resolution books have sold more than 40,000 copies worldwide and her popular conflict resolution blog+podcast has readers and listeners on six continents and at organizations as diverse as Daimler AG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Intel, Kennedy Center, Kaiser Permanente, Harvard, MIT, NOAA, the U.S. Small Business Association, and the FBI.
FAQ
What’s included?
- 100+ of the best tools and articles from 20 years of writing about and doing conflict resolution professionally, organized by tool type to make them easily accessible to you.
- Some of the tools are exercises you can do with employees or clients. Some are specific questions that can unlock a specific situation. Some are techniques and when to use them. Some are “tools of insight,” articles that share insights from my 20+ years as a conflict resolution teacher, mediator, and coach.
- Supplemental material, such as book recommendations and links to tools elsewhere.
- Everything is online, accessible 24/7 via whatever device you choose.
- Even better, every time I add new tools and resources, you’ll get access to them automatically, at no additional charge.
Who’s it for?
The Conflict Resolution Toolbox is specifically oriented toward tools that help people in ongoing business or personal relationships resolve conflict, communicate better, and make good, lasting decisions. It’s for you if…
- You’re a leader or manager and your job calls on you to help teams or employees work successfully together.
- You’re a professional mediator or coach (or want to be) and want tools to make you even more nimble, particularly with clients who will be in ongoing business or personal relationships.
- You aspire to a career where top-notch communication and problem-solving skills are highly valued.
- You love to learn new things and like to experiment with new ways of doing things.
How long do I have access?
After enrolling, you have unlimited access to the Toolbox for as long as you like, via your smartphone, tablet, or computer, for as long as we offer it.
What if I’m unhappy with it?
I would never want you to be unhappy. If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact me in the first 30 days and I will give you a full refund.
How is Toolbox different from what’s on your blog for free?
There are tools and techniques inside Toolbox that I don’t make publicly available anywhere else. I do give away a huge percentage of my knowledge for free, so you could go back through the hundreds of articles on my blog and find some of the tools there. But I save you the trouble by putting in the elbow grease for you 🙂
Will the tools work in my culture / country?
I am cautious about claiming that tools that work effectively in Western culture will automatically translate to all parts of the world or to every workplace or family culture. No one should be making a promise like that. So I can’t give you an unequivocal yes. I can tell you that for more than two decades I’ve had readers, clients, and students from all over the world tell me they’ve learned invaluable conflict resolution methods and techniques from me. Many of the tools are also adaptable so you can fine-tune them for your particular setting or culture.
Do I need to be a mediator to use this toolbox?
Absolutely not. The Conflict Resolution Toolbox is for anyone who wants more tools, techniques, and skills for helping others resolve conflict. Members tell me they use some of the tools in their personal lives, too.
Is this a live course?
The Conflict Resolution Toolbox is not a course at all. It’s a compilation of 100+ of my best tools and insights for helping sort out some of the stickier elements of conflict between people who will continue to work or live together.
Will the toolbox teach me how to mediate?
Toolbox is an excellent supplement to mediation training but does not replace learning formal mediation from a skilled and experienced mediation trainer.
I’m an experienced mediator. Will I learn new things?
If you’ve read my blog or listened to my podcast and have found the tools and ideas useful in your work, that’s a good signal that the Toolbox has tools you’ll find useful. You’ll now be able to find some of your favorites again, along with suggested use cases and annotations.
Can I share Toolbox with others in my company?
Please register each user separately. Contact me to get team discount pricing.
Can I expense Toolbox?
Your organization’s specific policies will dictate whether or not you can expense Toolbox. Most organizations understand that investment in effective conflict resolution brings exponential returns. If you are required to justify the expense, consider these points:
- Building out your professional conflict resolution toolbox will improve your effectiveness and contribute to a healthy workplace dynamic.
- With lifetime access, Toolbox is a form of lifelong learning that has ongoing returns for you, your team, and your organization.
- The instructor, Dr. Tammy Lenski, is an award-winning and internationally recognized conflict resolution expert who has taught conflict resolution at the graduate level at four colleges and universities.
