According to a recent study, 85% of people say they run into some type of inevitable conflict at work? Conflict at a workplace doesn’t just make people feel bad, it can cost a business hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. In fact, in the U.S. alone, businesses lose more than $359 billion each year because of unresolved conflict. Unresolved problems can also drive good employees away, slow down projects and even hurt profits.
The good news is that there are employee training programs that can stop workplace conflict. And with the right conflict resolution training for positive employees relations, you can cut down on drama, make people feel safe to speak up and help teams work better together. This guide will show you seven of the best conflict resolution training programs you can use right now. By the end, you’ll know exactly which fits your team and how to use it to build a stronger team workplace.
Why Is Conflict Resolution Training Important?
Let’s face it: disagreements are normal at work. When people don’t get along, things can spiral fast. In the U.S. alone, businesses lose more than $359 billion each year because of unresolved conflict. That’s not just loss of money, it’s missed deadlines, angry customers and teams that fall apart.
Conflicts can lead to high staff turnover or even lawsuits. With the help of the right conflict resolution training and a solid employee relationship service, employees can learn how to build trust, listen well and turn problems into solutions.
When people know how to handle conflict, the whole workplace gets better, less stress, more teamwork and a stronger bottom line.
07 Top Conflict Resolution Training Programs
Let’s jump right in and look at the best workplace conflict resolution training options available today. Each one has its style, audience and strengths.
1. Peaceful Leaders Academy: Core Conflict Resolution Online
If you’re leading a team and want more trust, more safety and less tension in your workplace, the Certified Peaceful Leader™ program is built for you. It’s an online, self-paced leadership training designed to help you handle real challenges like tough conversations, honest feedback and building inclusive cultures that actually stick. The program is created by experts in organizational psychology and led by Dr. Jeremy Pollack. The course teaches three powerful foundations like safety, inclusion and trust along with five essential skills: Patience, Engagement, Appreciation, Curiosity and Empowerment.
This course will give you practical tools, group coaching and real-world exercises that apply directly to your team. And yes it’s SHRM-recognized, so you can earn professional credits while becoming the leader people actually want to follow.
2. JAMS Pathways: Mediation Skills Bootcamp
JAMS Pathways helps teams move from conflict to connection. They offer customized conflict resolution and organizational development programs built to strengthen trust, improve communication and reshape workplace culture. Whether you’re leading through tension, trying to repair fractured relationships, or looking to build psychological safety, their expert-led training gives you the tools to do it.
From hands-on workshops to leadership keynotes and multi-phase trust-building programs, everything is designed to meet your team where it is and move it forward. With over 45 years of real-world dispute resolution behind them, JAMS Pathways brings the insight and experience to turn friction into focus and help your people work better, together.
3. Mediation Training Institute (MTI): Certified Workplace Mediator and Trainer (CMT) Program
This five-day, in-person certification is built for HR leaders, managers and consultants who want more than just tools to resolve conflict; they want the ability to teach it too. You’ll learn MTI’s structured mediation process, how to lead difficult conversations and use the Conflict Dynamics Profile to build greater self-awareness in yourself and others.
By the end of the program, you’re not just trained, you’re licensed to deliver MTI’s conflict resolution seminars inside your organization. That makes it ideal for teams looking to embed these skills in their culture, instead of depending on outside help every time conflict shows up.
4. Harvard Negotiation Institute: Managing Workplace Conflict Workshop
The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School brings together top minds from Harvard, MIT and Tufts to shape how the world understands and practices negotiation. Since 1983, they’ve helped professionals at every level build skills in negotiation, mediation and conflict management through executive education programs ranging from focused multi-day intensives to full-semester courses.
Whether you’re an individual or a company, you can learn directly from leading faculty and seasoned practitioners. PON also offers in-house training, publishes the renowned Negotiation Journal and creates role-play simulations used in classrooms and boardrooms worldwide. Their mission is simple: blend rigorous research with real-world tools so you can lead negotiations with clarity, ethics and confidence no matter the challenge.
5. Crucial Conversations Skills by Crucial Learning
Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue is a practical communication course from Crucial Learning that shows you how to handle tough conversations without shutting down or blowing up. In about 6 to 8 hours, you’ll learn nine essential skills like managing emotions, clarifying your intent and creating psychological safety that help you stay grounded when discussions get heated.
Whether you’re facing a disagreement at work, giving feedback, or navigating team conflict, the course gives you tools to keep the conversation respectful and productive. It’s available online, in person, or in a blended format, with hands-on practice, peer interaction and real-world scenarios woven throughout. The goal? Help you speak clearly, listen better and turn high-stakes moments into forward progress.
6. SkillPath – Managing Conflict and Confrontation at Work
Managing Conflict and Confrontation at Work is a 3-hour live, virtual workshop from SkillPath that helps you turn workplace tension into productive dialogue. Approved for HRCI and SHRM credits, it reframes conflict not as a threat but as a chance to improve communication, strengthen relationships and boost team performance.
This program will teach you how to stay calm under pressure, adapt your communication style to different personalities and handle tough situations with tact and diplomacy. Through interactive lessons and real-time participation, this workshop gives you practical skills you can use right away whether you’re leading a team, working with clients, or managing cross-functional dynamics.
7. The Center for Understanding in Conflict – Working Creatively with Conflict
This program teaches a mediation approach built on understanding and not just quick fixes. Refined over 40+ years, the model helps you slow down, listen deeply and guide people toward respectful, informed decisions. Instead of jumping to outcomes, this program teaches you how to build mutual understanding first so solutions stick.
The training includes clear briefings, live demos and realistic role-plays that walk you through the entire mediation process, start to finish. Available online or in person, it’s recognized by the American Bar Association and Harvard’s Program on Negotiation. Whether you’re a mediator, HR professional, manager, or team lead, this approach gives you the skills to handle conflict with clarity and confidence.
How to Choose the Right Training for Conflict Resolution
Not every program works for every group. Start by asking, “What’s the biggest challenge we face with conflict?” Do you want managers to lead by example, or do you want everyone to step up?
Next, think about your budget. Some programs are short and focused; others last weeks and include personal coaching. Decide if your team learns best online, in person, or with both.
Check if you need a program that gives professional credits or is recognized in your industry. You might want to use a simple decision chart. List your goals, who needs training, how much time you have and the delivery style you need. That way, you can match your team to the best fit.
Quick Tips for Maximizing Training Impact
Getting the most from conflict resolution workshops means planning ahead.
- Start by getting buy-in from top leaders. If they show it matters, everyone will.
- Next, use real examples from your workplace in role-plays, not just generic cases.
- After the training, check in with staff. And ask them what helped and what still feels tough.
- You can also try using microlearning refreshers and short reminders or video tips to keep skills fresh.
- Finally, track what changes. Do you see fewer complaints, better teamwork, or higher staff surveys? Use that data to show the training works.
