Leadership & Management

Managing Conflict in Senior Teams

Conflict at senior level slows decisions, creates silos and sends damaging signals through the organisation. This course helps executives and senior managers understand the sources of senior team conflict, distinguish productive debate from destructive tension, facilitate difficult discussions, resolve disputes and build a cohesive leadership team.

5 days Classroom or live online English

Smart Horizon Certified - Global Leadership Consultants

Take the course details with you.

Download the full standard outline: why attend, methodology, objectives, audience, competencies, the daily outline and current plans.

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Why attend

From knowledge to real-world impact.

Senior teams that cannot disagree well either avoid important issues or fight about them. You will learn to turn conflict into better decisions.

Workplace challenges

Professional Problems This Course Is Designed to Solve

The programme explores practical approaches to the following challenges. Results depend on how the learning is applied in your organisation.

Difficulty translating subject knowledge into practical workplace decisions.
Inconsistent approaches to the activities covered in the course outline.
Lack of a structured plan for applying and reviewing new skills.

Course methodology

How you will learn.

Team diagnostics, facilitation practice, conflict case studies and role plays of senior-level disputes.

Course objectives

What you'll take away.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Identify sources of conflict in senior teams
Distinguish task conflict from relationship conflict
Facilitate productive debate
Mediate disputes between senior colleagues
Rebuild trust after serious conflict
Strengthen senior team cohesion

Target audience

Who should attend.

This course is suitable for:

Executives and senior managers
Members of leadership teams
CEOs and managing directors
HR directors
Organisational development consultants

Target competencies

Capabilities you will build.

Participants will develop competencies in:

Conflict management
Facilitation
Mediation
Team cohesion
Executive communication

Course outline

Your learning journey.

A focused, practical outline with time to explore, apply and reflect.

Day 1Conflict at the Top

09:00–10:08Why senior teams clash
10:08–11:00Costs of unresolved conflict
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Costs of unresolved conflict (continued)
11:45–12:53Team diagnostic
12:53–14:00Case study

Day 2Productive Debate

09:00–10:08Task versus relationship conflict
10:08–11:00Norms for healthy disagreement
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Norms for healthy disagreement (continued)
11:45–12:53Decision rules
12:53–14:00Exercise: debate protocol

Day 3Facilitating Difficult Discussions

09:00–10:08Preparing the conversation
10:08–11:00Managing emotions
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Managing emotions (continued)
11:45–12:53Finding common ground
12:53–14:00Facilitation practice

Day 4Mediation

09:00–10:08Mediation steps
10:08–11:00Neutrality and fairness
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Neutrality and fairness (continued)
11:45–12:53Agreements that stick
12:53–14:00Role play

Day 5Building Cohesion

09:00–10:08Shared purpose
10:08–11:00Team charters
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Team charters (continued)
11:45–12:53Ongoing reviews
12:53–14:00Action plan

The timings provided are estimates and may vary depending on the number of participants and the discussions taking place during the sessions. They are indicative only and do not constitute a binding commitment.

Dates & venues

Find a session that works for you.

Confirmed dates accept registration requests. Tentative dates are enquiry only.

Good to know

A few things to know.

How is the course delivered?

Our classroom programmes combine facilitated discussion, case studies, exercises and reflection. The precise format will be confirmed before enrolment.

Can you deliver this programme for our team?

Yes, you can enquire about a tailored programme. Share your goals, group size and preferred dates with our learning team.

Will I receive a certificate?

Participants who complete the programme receive a Smart Horizon certificate of attendance. Smart Horizon programmes are not externally accredited and do not award a professional qualification, licence or designation. Where a course title or outline refers to a professional certification (for example, AACE International's Certified Cost Professional), the programme supports learning and preparation only; the credential itself is awarded solely by the relevant professional body under its own application and examination requirements.

What should I confirm before booking travel?

Please confirm the session, exact venue, accessibility arrangements, fees and any visa requirements with the team before arranging travel. Tentative dates are not confirmed sessions.

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