Leadership Course

Healthy Conflict & Difficult Conversations

Navigate conflict with clarity, accountability, and confidence.
Oct 29, Nov 5, 12 & 19, 2026
$800
Register

Location:

Synchronous on Zoom

Schedule:

Four live 2-hour check-ins • 9:00-11:00am ET

Course Summary

Learning Objectives

Course Overview

Credentials

Instructional Team

Additional Information

What is Healthy Conflict?

Healthy conflict is a constructive approach to disagreement where individuals openly share different perspectives while maintaining respect and trust. It focuses on understanding viewpoints, addressing issues directly, and working toward better decisions or outcomes without damaging relationships.

Course Summary

Discounts

The following GoBlue pricing discounts are available and cannot be combined. Please contact us at [email protected] for a promotional code that will allow you to apply the eligible discount to your registration.

With 15 or more enrollments, you may want to consider a custom program for your organization. Please contact us to learn more about our partnership opportunities.

Once you have paid, a discount cannot be added retroactively.

THESE DISCOUNTS ARE NOT APPLICABLE FOR PARTNER PROGRAMS.

Name Details Level
Group Discount Level 1 Enroll 3-4 participants in one course offering. 5%
Group Discount Level 2 Enroll 5 or more participants in one course offering. 10%
U.S. Government Current employees with .gov email (not applicable to government contractors). 10%
U.S. Military Active duty personnel, reservists, retired or disabled veterans. 10%
Students Currently enrolled student from any university; please send photo of date-stamped student ID. 10%
Michigan Engineering Professional Education Alumni Past participants of any Michigan Engineering Professional Education certificate course. 10%
U-M Alumni U-M alumni from any school or department – please send uniqname to [email protected] for confirmation. 20%
U-M Students and Staff Current U-M students, faculty, and staff – please send uniqname to [email protected] for confirmation. 20%
Go Blue Discounts
Instruction Time Completion Time CEUs
Healthy Conflict & Difficult Conversations 9:00am - 11:00am ET Four 2-hour check-ins 2

Conflict is inevitable wherever people work together—but how people respond and engage with each other determines success. The Healthy Conflict & Difficult Conversations course reframes traditional conflict management by shifting the focus from controlling others to understanding yourself.

Instructor Emily Hampton-Morash leads this interactive course with a mindful, emotionally intelligent approach. She helps participants understand the neuroscience, psychology, and communication dynamics that shape conflict in the workplace and everyday interactions. Participants learn how personal perception, communication patterns, and emotional triggers influence conflict. They also learn how mindfulness and emotional intelligence can shift their reaction to conflict in real time.

Through reflective exercises and real-world scenarios, participants learn how to approach difficult conversations with clarity and empathy. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach to conflict management, this course equips you with tools and strategies to navigate your own responses and assumptions. You will leave with a personalized roadmap to engage in healthier conversations and take emotional accountability. You also gain practical strategies to navigate conflict more effectively in both professional and personal settings.

Learning Objectives

  • Reframe conflict management as conflict navigation.
  • Build self-awareness around triggers that shape conflict perception.
  • Understand how the emotional and logical brain interact during difficult conversations.
  • Apply mindfulness techniques to regulate stress and remain grounded in high-stakes interactions.
  • Understand interpersonal communication complexities and filters in different situations.
  • Use the Communication Compass to understand communication styles, needs, and behavioral drivers.
  • Prepare for and engage in difficult conversations using the P.O.I.S.E.D. Method.
  • Practice healthy feedback, assertive dialogue, and productive disagreement.
  • Demonstrate emotional accountability in navigating conflict and difficult conversations.

Course Overview

  • Why people react the way they do under stress
  • The emotional brain versus the logical brain
  • Conflict as a psychological construct
  • What mindfulness is and why it matters in conflict
  • The four components of emotional intelligence
  • Emotional accountability and self-regulation
  • Communication filters: culture, identity, experience, and perception
  • Interpersonal communication across formats (in-person, voice, digital)
  • How miscommunication creates conflict
  • The Communication Compass assessment
  • Assertive, logical, supportive, inspiring, and collaborative communication styles
  • Adapting communication without losing authenticity
  • Reframing conflict management as conflict navigation
  • Identifying personal triggers and hot-zone reactions
  • Where conflict shows up in the body
  • Preparing for high-impact conversations
  • Practicing healthy feedback, assertive dialogue, and productive disagreement.
  • Using empathy to support productive, two-way conversations
  • The P.O.I.S.E.D. Method (Purpose, Objectivity, Integrity, Sincerity, Empathy, and Dialogue)
  • Applying course concepts to real-world workplace scenarios and challenges
  • Building a personalized roadmap for navigating future conflict
  • Leading humans rather than managing behavior

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for individuals who want to strengthen their communication skills and navigate conflict more effectively, including:

  • Emerging and experienced leaders
  • Managers and supervisors responsible for team communication and performance
  • HR professionals and people leaders addressing workplace conflict
  • Professionals across industries seeking healthier approaches to conflict management
  • Anyone who wants to improve self-awareness, communication, and emotional intelligence

Credentials

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Digital Certificate

Certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of this course.

Instructional Team

Emily Hampton-Morash

  • Founding Director, Hampton Morash, LLC

Additional Information

How Healthy Conflict and Difficult Conversations Is Used in Industry?

Organizations apply these leadership practices to improve team communication, navigate difficult conversations, and align cross-functional teams in engineering and technical environments.

Skills

Feedback delivery; conflict resolution; conversation planning; listening skills; trust building.

Audience

Managers, team leads, and professionals who need stronger communication in difficult situations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does Healthy Conflict & Difficult Conversations cover? Healthy Conflict and Difficult Conversations training helps professionals handle tension directly, respectfully, and productively. Participants learn practical ways to prepare for difficult conversations, give honest feedback, and resolve disagreement without damaging trust.

Who should take Healthy Conflict & Difficult Conversations? Managers, team leads, and professionals who need stronger communication in difficult situations.

How is Healthy Conflict & Difficult Conversations used in practice? These techniques help teams address tension early, improve feedback, and keep relationships strong while solving real issues.

Questions Professionals Also Ask

How do you have difficult conversations at work? What is healthy conflict? How do teams give better feedback?

Related Courses

Leading Change, Leadership in the Age of AI, The Mindful Leader Practice

View Knowledge Base

Get Started

For more information or answers to any questions please email [email protected] or fill out the form.