The news is full of headlines about wars, fiery political debates, and cyberbullying. But for some people, the conflict isn’t just in the headlines; it’s a part of their lives. And not just their personal lives—conflict can sour the workplace, too.
Whether you’re working alongside difficult personalities or managing them as a superior, high-conflict people and situations can become completely overwhelming.
That’s just one of the reasons why conflict negotiation training is so valuable. Along with many other things, certification as a coach in high-conflict negotiation will give you the tools to defuse tension and help you keep your wits about you so you can help everyone come to a clear resolution.
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What Is Conflict Resolution Training?
The best conflict resolution training programs cover every aspect of high-conflict situations. They help you understand why conflict arises and give you tools to resolve it smoothly and effectively.
Ideally, these courses teach you first about difficult personality types, especially narcissists. Narcissists are so challenging because they can inflict incredible emotional damage on those they interact with, which often leads to explosive confrontations.
Next, your course should give you the tools to work with high-conflict personalities and resolve difficult situations. This includes communication techniques, methods for assuaging fears, coping mechanisms, negotiation skills, and tactics for forming a solid plan going forward.
Some courses will also help you earn a high conflict negotiation certificate in coaching. This means you don’t just learn to negotiate well yourself, you earn the credentials to teach and coach others to negotiate their way out of high-conflict situations, too. You can use this certification to enhance your current career or begin a new career path.
Who Should Invest in Training?
Certain industries are more prone to conflict: law, forensics, human resources, customer service, entrepreneurship, mental health, and sales are just a few. If you are working in one of these industries, you would be a good match for this training. But anyone who regularly deals with challenging interpersonal situations stands to benefit.
The training will help you work through conflict on the job, and you might find yourself wanting to do more and become a conflict resolution coach yourself. If so, you can seek out a conflict resolution certification program.
You’ll be a particularly good candidate for a certification program if you have had firsthand experience with high-conflict personalities. If you’ve ever dealt with a narcissist—whether a romantic partner, a friend, a coworker, or a superior—your personal experience makes you an ideal candidate for helping others.
You may have emerged from the situation feeling broken, but often, that hardship can fuel you to help others who are feeling similar despair. Turning your pain into purpose by becoming a conflict negotiation coach can be an amazingly healing experience.
Why Get Training/Certification?
The benefits of receiving high conflict negotiation certification training are countless. You’ll interact better with co-workers, bosses, and clients. Your ability to negotiate through challenging situations will show through, justifying a raise, promotion, or other form of recognition.
And if you get a certification, you will establish yourself as even more of an expert in this critical field. You can use it to help people within your company work through conflict. You can also freelance or start your own full-time business helping professional teams navigate conflict in the most productive ways.
You could train service associates to deal with angry customers so that everyone walks away happy. You could coach people who are divorcing a high-conflict individual. Your coaching could shorten the proceedings, relieve unnecessary stress, and help your client get more of what they want out of the divorce settlement or trial. You could teach entrepreneurs to negotiate with clients, employees, and colleagues in a way that will enhance their personal well-being and their business growth.
There’s nothing more satisfying than serving your clients, coworkers, family members, and friends with your newfound capabilities.
The Deep Cost and Impact of Conflict
Conflict creates a toxic workplace, which creates unhappy employees, which leads to high employee turnover. (And with the cost of a new hire averaging around $4,700, no one wants turnover.)
Conflict throttles collaboration. It squelches creativity and innovation and drains the motivation to perform at peak levels. And the longer a conflict drags on, the harder it is to resolve.
The bill for conflict in the workplace is high. Managers devote about 42% of their time to solving conflicts. And U.S. workers lose approximately 2.8 hours each week to disputes, resulting in productivity losses totaling about $359 billion annually.
High-conflict divorces are far more costly, emotionally and financially. Proceedings drag on while parties fight for every last shred of money and custody and don’t back down until they get their way.
Conflict negotiation coaches aren’t just a nicety; they can become essential to the emotional and financial wellness of individuals and companies.
Choosing a Program That’s Right for You
The advantages of equipping yourself with high conflict negotiation skills can’t be overstated. The only question that remains is how to find a program that’s right for your needs.
While cost is almost certainly a factor for you, remember that the quality of the program will determine how well you can resolve conflict. It’s best to find one designed by a professional specializing in negotiating high-conflict situations. It’s even better if you can find a course that teaches you about dealing with narcissists because they are so often at the root of a conflict.
And if you’re interested in exploring conflict negotiation as a career in coaching either full-time or as a side hustle, look for a course that offers a negotiation certificate program so that you can train others in the art of conflict negotiation.
Also, specializing in a niche within the high conflict negotiation space allows you to tailor your services to a specific audience, making it easier to attract and retain clients while also positioning yourself to earn more. By focusing on areas—such as, for example, divorce and family law, executive conflict resolution, or corporate crisis negotiation—you can establish yourself as an expert in that particular field. This targeted expertise not only enhances your credibility and impact but also enables you to command higher fees for your specialized services.