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Learn conflict resolution

Are you ready to build a skill that can take you far in the professional world? Explore how taking conflict resolution courses online can enhance sought-after soft skills and potentially help land you a career you love.

What is conflict resolution?

Conflict resolution is the ability to find a solution to a problem that both sides can agree on. Employers across industries and sectors value this skill in potential candidates because it helps maintain a positive workplace culture, encourages effective collaboration, and minimizes disruptions in productivity due to disputes.

The skill of conflict resolution can enhance professional opportunities in a number of people-focused fields, including human resource management, social work, education, and counseling.

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Choosing the right conflict resolution program for you

The learning pathway that will best meet your needs depends on how much you already know about conflict resolution and how you plan to use these skills in the workplace. Here are some of the main ways to build up your skill set in conflict resolution:

Courses

Taking conflict resolution courses online can help you understand its importance in the workplace. You may also learn specific techniques, such as situational awareness, emotional intelligence, effective communication, and negotiation.

Certifications

A certification program requires you to take an exam to validate your skills in diagnosing conflicts, applying a problem-solving approach, and using mediation to work toward productive resolution.

Executive education programs

Conflict resolution executive education programs help organizational leaders develop the skills to negotiate well, build relationships, navigate challenging conversations, and create a positive workplace culture. This path can be particularly useful for industry veterans looking to improve their skills in certain areas, often in pursuit of a promotion or job change.

Degrees

A degree program in conflict resolution or management can help you build a career managing people and helping them solve interpersonal issues or business disputes. In these programs, you may encounter coursework in theories of conflict management, conflict management systems design, civil mediation, and cultural aspects of conflict resolution.

Jobs in conflict resolution

Learning conflict resolution can help you in a variety of settings, from interpersonal to international. Here are a few positions in which you can use conflict management skills in meaningful ways, with each role's required education as well as salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):

Human resources manager

Human resources managers coordinate and direct an organization's human resources function. This role includes workforce planning, communicating directives from senior management, planning benefit programs, advising managers on human resources-related issues, making hiring decisions, and handling disputes and disciplinary action.

  • Required education: Bachelor's degree in human resource management, business communications, psychology, or a related field
  • Median annual salary (May 2023): $136,350
Mediator

Mediators facilitate conflict resolution through conversation. In this role, you may clarify the concerns of all parties, interview stakeholders to obtain critical information, conduct meetings with disputants, and prepare settlement agreements.

  • Required education: Bachelor's degree in conflict management or a field related to the specific industry (such as law or business)
  • Median annual salary (May 2023): $71,540
School counselor

School counselors help students develop academic, career, and social skills. You may address behavioral challenges, analyze data to identify issues, evaluate students through assessments and interviews, and collaborate with teachers and other personnel to help students achieve goals.

  • Required education: Master's degree in counseling or psychology
  • BLS median annual salary (2023): $61,710

Learn conflict resolution online with edX

Are you ready to improve your conflict resolution skills? Then check out edX's various degree programs or sign up for a free online course and get started today.

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    Frequently asked questions about conflict resolution

    What is the importance of learning conflict resolution?

    Conflict resolution is a versatile skill that can build a positive workplace culture in any industry or sector. When you can effectively manage disagreements, it can enhance collaboration and help keep employees productive, which ultimately benefits the entire organization.

    How long does it take to learn conflict resolution?

    Taking conflict resolution courses online can help you learn basic tenets in about four weeks. However, mastering it can take many years, as every situation will require a different mix of skills and tactics, and it is often necessary to learn by trial and error.

    How hard is it to learn conflict resolution?

    Learning the fundamental skills required for effective conflict resolution is easy. Still, the application of these skills is what makes learning conflict resolution challenging. Developing soft skills like active listening, empathy, and effective communication can be more difficult for some people in comparison to others.

    Teaching others to manage their emotions can be even more difficult, depending on their level of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and willingness to engage in the mediation process.