04/01/2026

Training for Tension: Experiential Strategies for Conflict Management Skill-Building

By Amanda G. Schagane and Kimberly Blanton

Conflict is Constant, but Skill is a Choice

Conflict in the workplace is unavoidable. Whether rooted in communication breakdowns, competing priorities, or differences in values, conflict can affect productivity, employee well-being, and organizational culture (Jehn & Bendersky, 2003). For career development professionals, helping clients strengthen conflict management skills has never been more important.

Although conflict resolution frameworks are widely studied, the use of experiential methods such as simulation and role play remains underutilized for developing these competencies. Such approaches allow individuals to practice difficult conversations in psychologically safe environments, building confidence and resilience before applying skills in the workplace (Kolb, 2015).

Context for Conflict Management within Career Development

Conflict resolution is not only a leadership issue; it is a core workplace competency at every career stage. Early-career professionals may struggle with assertiveness, mid-career employees often face team dynamics, and senior leaders must navigate complex organizational disputes. Across these contexts, the ability to manage conflict effectively is directly tied to job satisfaction, retention, and leadership growth (De Dreu & Gelfand, 2008).

Career practitioners play an essential role in supporting clients’ skill building in this area. By equipping individuals with conflict management strategies, they can help clients better navigate workplaces, advance in their careers, and contribute to healthier organizational cultures (Amason, 1996).

Simulation and Role Play as Learning Tools

Experiential learning bridges the gap between theory and practice. By immersing clients in structured role plays or simulations, practitioners create opportunities for self-awareness, feedback, and behavior change. Benefits of these approaches include:

• Increased self-awareness of conflict styles and triggers, such as recognizing a tendency to avoid confrontation or becoming defensive during feedback conversations.
• Application of conflict management frameworks in realistic scenarios, such as practicing a structured conversation to address a colleague who repeatedly misses deadlines.
• Safe opportunities to experiment with language, tone, and strategy, such as rehearsing how to initiate a difficult conversation with a superior or practicing ways to redirect an emotionally charged discussion.
• Stronger retention of skills compared to lecture-only approaches, as participants actively practice responses to scenarios like navigating disagreements between team members (Fanning & Gaba, 2007).

Simulation-based learning also normalizes the discomfort of conflict, reframing it as a leadership skill to be practiced rather than avoided. For many clients, the chance to rehearse difficult conversations reduces anxiety and increases the likelihood of positive outcomes when conflicts arise on the job.

Case Example: UK HealthCare Nurse Leadership Program

In healthcare settings, conflict management is a critical leadership competency. Based on the second author’s observations, the ability to navigate tense conversations directly impacts team morale, patient safety, and retention. Creating safe spaces for nurse leaders to practice these skills helps build confidence and supports the development of healthier, more collaborative workplaces.

At UK HealthCare, an academic medical center in Lexington, Kentucky, a leadership development program for 47 nurse managers incorporated conflict management as a core non-clinical competency. While nurses receive extensive technical training, many had not obtained structured learning on navigating workplace conflict.

In the program, participants engaged in simulation exercises where they practiced managing scenarios such as:

• Addressing team members who were not following agreed-upon processes
• Navigating disagreements with physician colleagues
• Responding to emotionally charged conversations with staff

The simulations were followed by structured debriefs, allowing participants to reflect on their approaches, receive peer and facilitator feedback, and identify alternative strategies.

Pre- and post-assessment data demonstrated measurable improvements across key conflict management competencies. Participants’ confidence in managing conflicts increased by approximately 17.6%, while understanding of conflict resolution strategies improved by 24.5%, representing the largest area of growth. The ability to maintain composure during conflict also rose by 10.7%.

Participants reported greater comfort initiating difficult conversations and increased awareness of their personal conflict styles, consistent with research demonstrating the effectiveness of simulation in building interpersonal skills (Seifert & Bergmann, 2020). Leaders observed improved team dynamics as participants applied these skills in their day-to-day roles.

Strategies for Career Practitioners

While the UK HealthCare program focused on nursing leaders, the strategies are highly transferable to other industries. The following strategies provide actionable ways for career practitioners to integrate conflict management skill-building across roles and sectors:

Incorporate Role Play into Existing Sessions: Integrate client-specific scenarios such as difficult performance conversations, negotiating priorities, or addressing recurring team tensions. To guide the conversation, practitioners might use prompts such as:

• “What outcome do you want from this conversation?”
• “What is the core issue you need to address?”
• “How might the other person respond, and how will you handle that?”
• “What language feels both authentic and effective for you?”
• Practitioners can also pause role plays to reflect in real time, asking, “What felt challenging in that moment?” or “What might you try differently?”

Facilitate Reflective Exercises Post-Conflict: Guide clients through structured reflection on what went well, what could be improved, and alternative approaches they might take next time. Reflection fosters self-awareness, reinforces learning, and encourages consideration of how personal conflict styles affect outcomes in various team or organizational contexts.

Use Assessment Tools: Use trusted instruments, like the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, to help clients identify default conflict styles and expand their range of responses. Reviewing assessment results with discussion or coaching exercises helps clients translate self-awareness into practical action and develop a broader repertoire of responses to challenging situations (Thomas & Kilmann, 2008).

Prompt Values-Based Discussions: Encourage clients to explore personal and organizational values that often influence conflict triggers, differing expectations around accountability, or work-life boundaries. Values-based conversations help employees anticipate potential tensions and make intentional decisions aligned with their principles, promoting authentic, transparent, and trust-building approaches in the workplace.

Develop Boundary-Setting Scripts: Collaborate with clients to develop clear, approachable language templates for navigating recurring conflicts or high-stakes conversations that are relevant to their setting. Scripts serve as practical tools to maintain professionalism, protect emotional energy, and support consistent, effective responses, particularly in situations that might otherwise escalate or remain unresolved.

By embedding these strategies into their practice, career development professionals can help clients build confidence, resilience, and adaptability: key qualities for career advancement.

Conflict Management Benefits Clients at All Career Stages

Conflict management is a critical workplace skill influencing employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, and overall organizational health. Career practitioners are uniquely positioned to build this capability by integrating experiential strategies such as simulation, reflection, and assessment into their work. These approaches help clients at all career stages navigate conflict with greater confidence. As the case of UK HealthCare illustrates, when individuals are supported in strengthening these skills, it results in stronger leaders, healthier teams, and more resilient workplaces.

References

Amason, A. C. (1996). Distinguishing the effects of functional and dysfunctional conflict on strategic decision making: Resolving a paradox for top management teams. Academy of Management Journal, 39(1), 123–148. https://www.jstor.org/stable/256633 

De Dreu, C. K. W., & Gelfand, M. J. (Eds.). (2008). The psychology of conflict and conflict management in organizations. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Fanning, R. M., & Gaba, D. M. (2007). The role of debriefing in simulation-based learning. Simulation in Healthcare, 2(2), 115–125. https://doi.org/10.1097/SIH.0b013e3180315539 

Jehn, K. A., & Bendersky, C. (2003). Intragroup conflict in organizations: A contingency perspective on the conflict–outcome relationship. Research in Organizational Behavior, 25, 187–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-3085(03)25005-X 

Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.

Seifert, J., & Bergmann, C. (2020). Simulated conversations in coaching: Effects on self-efficacy and perceived competence. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 13(1), 74–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/17521882.2019.1657167 

Thomas, K. W., & Kilmann, R. H. (2008). Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode instrument. CPP, Inc. https://ap.themyersbriggs.com/sample-reports/Thomas-Kilmann-Conflict-Mode-Instrument-11 

Amanda G. Schagane, MSEd, CCC, CSCP, CCTC is a career development and organizational leader with over 15 years of experience in higher education and healthcare. She serves as Senior Organizational Development Specialist at UK HealthCare and is the founder of Career & Culture LLC, her private practice focused on leadership/career development coaching and organizational development consulting. She can be reached at Amanda.Goldsmith@uky.edu or on LinkedIn.

Kimberly Blanton, DNP, MHA, RN, NEA-BC serves as Chief Nursing Officer at Chandler Medical Center, UK HealthCare. With over 25 years of nursing and leadership experience, she is nationally recognized for advancing excellence in nursing practice and leadership. She leads initiatives to strengthen professional development, improve patient outcomes, and foster high-performing teams in complex healthcare environments. She can be reached at kblanton3@uky.edu.