Michigan Tech staff and faculty have access to the LinkedIn Learning library. There are several courses or course modules that are recommended for those that are working on conflict resolution.
Review the information on Accessing the LinkedIn Learning Library to begin Learning.
Confronting Bias: Thriving Across Our Differences by Vernā Myers and Arianna Huffington
40 Minutes
Find greater meaning, well-being, and productivity by learning how to interact with others across differences. Continue your Thrive journey and discover how to create inclusive environments where everyone can thrive. In this course, Arianna Huffington and Verna Myers discuss the impact of our cultural lens on our daily relations and how to counter bias in our words and actions.
Unconscious Bias by Stacey Gordon
28 minutes
To some degree, we are all biased. Our experiences shape who we are, and our dimensions of diversity—race, ethnicity, gender, height, weight, sexual orientation, place of birth, and other factors—impact the lens through which we view the world. In this course, through compelling examples that explore the most common forms of unconscious bias and its implications, diversity expert Stacey Gordon teaches you to recognize and acknowledge your own biases when making decisions, engaging with colleagues, and working effectively in today's organizations. Stacey reveals the most common forms of unconscious bias—affinity bias, halo bias, perception bias, confirmation bias, and group think—and teaches you the skills to effectively address them.
Uncovering Unconscious Bias in Recruiting and Interviewing by Dr. Tana Session
51 Minutes
Despite our best efforts, bias is a contributing factor in our decision-making. Unconscious bias is even more precarious, as we are often unaware that it's a factor in our decisions. In this course, Dr. Tana M. Session walks you through how to define a number of unconscious biases, as well as how the biases can impact your decision-making and how you can combat them when recruiting and hiring qualified candidates. First, Dr. Session explains what the term “unconscious bias” means and ensures no one feels guilty about discovering their own biases. Next, Dr. Session covers several common types of unconscious bias, including confirmation bias and affinity bias. For each type, she defines the bias and shows how it might impact your decision-making. After this, Dr. Session concludes by outlining strategies to minimize bias in the recruiting and interview process, such as learning how to find diverse candidates to fill positions, use diverse panel interviews, and utilize interview scorecards.
Communicating about Culturally Sensitive Issues by Daisy Lovelace
55 Minutes
Discussions about cultural differences can be uncomfortable. They take courage. In this course, business communication professor Daisy Lovelace shares principles and strategies that can help you have more productive, meaningful conversations on topics related to diversity. Daisy helps you understand that everyone has a unique lens based on their experiences, and that understanding and appreciating that difference is the first step in being able to discuss sensitive topics. She also outlines a number of techniques to help you navigate these difficult conversations.
Communicating with Emotional Intelligence by Brenda Bailey-Hughes
43 Minutes
Developing your emotional intelligence can help you succeed at any stage of your life or career. It can also help you become a better leader, mentor, and coach. In this course, Brenda Bailey-Hughes defines exactly what emotional intelligence is and how it can help you manage your emotions and build stronger relationships. Learn how to understand others’ perspectives, balance empathy and accountability, demonstrate listening, and respond appropriately to a variety of verbal and nonverbal cues. Using these simple techniques, you can quickly improve your communication and make conversations at work and home more productive and satisfying.
Communicating with Emotional Intelligence by Brenda Bailey-Hughes
43 Minutes
Developing your emotional intelligence can help you succeed at any stage of your life or career. It can also help you become a better leader, mentor, and coach. In this course, Brenda Bailey-Hughes defines exactly what emotional intelligence is and how it can help you manage your emotions and build stronger relationships. Learn how to understand others’ perspectives, balance empathy and accountability, demonstrate listening, and respond appropriately to a variety of verbal and nonverbal cues. Using these simple techniques, you can quickly improve your communication and make conversations at work and home more productive and satisfying.
Communicating with Empathy by Sharon Steed
37 Minutes
When you seek to understand the perspective of another person, you are practicing empathy. When empathetic communication is encouraged at work, individuals feel more comfortable speaking openly, they feel like they matter, and they feel safe. That's why empathy at work is crucial to company-wide success. In this course, communication expert Sharon Steed explains the principles of empathetic communication and shares specific strategies to help improve your approach to difficult conversations. Get ready to learn how to converse empathetically to improve your one-on-one conversations and team interactions.
Coaching Employees through Difficult Situations by Elizabeth Lotardo and Lisa Earle McLeod
47 Minutes
Have you ever had to provide coaching to an individual who can't take criticism, or inherited an employee who seems to continually make the same mistakes on the job? Part of growing as a leader is learning how to successfully tackle these and other challenging situations. In this course, leadership consultants Lisa Earle McLeod and Elizabeth McLeod help new and experienced managers address some of the most frequent coaching challenges. Using scenarios, Lisa and Elizabeth demonstrate how to motivate employees who have been demoted or promoted, as well as how to effectively coach employees who have big egos or simply don't want to be coached. In addition, they share strategies for using supplemental resources to further your coaching efforts.
Improving Your Conflict Competence by Craig Runde
52 Minutes
Workplace conflict is inevitable. But it doesn't have to end badly. In this course, author and conflict expert Craig Runde helps you manage workplace conflict more effectively. He first explains the dynamics that create conflict, and helps you become aware of what your conflict response is. Once you are aware of how conflict arises, learn some practical steps you can take to manage your emotions and engage with others constructively.
Managing Team Conflict by Henna Inam
1 Hour 10 Minutes
When you bring people together, conflict is a natural part of the dynamic. How leaders choose to manage these inevitable disagreements can make the difference between a dysfunctional team and a successful one. In this course, instructor Henna Inam shares strategies and techniques that can help you confidently lead through conflict. Throughout the course, Henna provides direct instruction, exercises, and scenarios that play out common team conflict situations. Discover why team conflict is necessary for success and how to determine whether a conflict is healthy or unhealthy. Review how to resolve style differences, remain both assertive and cooperative in the midst of a conflict, and leverage different conflict management styles to defuse tricky situations.
Developing a Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Program by Stefanie Johnson
29 Minutes
Diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DIBs) isn't just a buzzword. DIBs programs can have real impact on employees' productivity and welfare. Think about the best group you ever belonged to - where you felt like everyone cared about you, understood you, and valued you as a part of the group. That is the kind of environment that promotes sharing, innovation, and growth. This course shows HR leaders how to develop a DIBs strategy that builds diverse, inclusive environments where everyone feels like they belong. Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson explains how to create a strategy for your organization and start integrating DIBs into core HR activities, such as recruitment, training, performance evaluations, and promotions.
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging for All
8 courses, 7 hours of content
Learn about the challenges and opportunities inherent in working in diverse organizations. This transformative learning path reviews current thinking and best practices on essential topics such as bias in all of its forms, cultural competence, communication, allyship, and accountability.
Hiring and Supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace
1 Hour 3 Minutes
You may have heard the word neurodiversity, but what exactly does that mean? Our recognition that our workforce is filled with minds that don't always think like we do is important in our more inclusive world. Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that refers to autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning differences. In this course, HR professional and organizational psychologist Tiffany Jameson addresses neurodiversity and the importance of recognizing how different individuals’ learning and communication style influences how they work best. She covers common challenges the neurodivergent face in the workplace, and how to best support candidates and current team members who learn and communicate differently. Tiffany also explains how helping HR identify how to adapt to a neurodivergent world and workforce is critical. As she shows, recognizing and incorporating the strengths of neurodiverse employees can lead to a better and more effective workforce.
Managing a Multigenerational Workforce by Roberta Matuson
56 Minutes
The workforce is more diverse than ever, especially when it comes to age. Getting multiple generations to work together effectively is critical for business success. In this course, leadership expert Roberta Matuson helps managers gain an understanding of the complexity of leading a workgroup comprised of four or even five generations: traditionalists, baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials, and Gen Zers. She explains the differences in the cultures in which each generation was raised, and what you can do when managing an employee young enough to be your child and old enough to be your parent. Plus, learn how to leverage each generation's unique strengths.
Supporting Workers with Disabilities - Crafting an Inclusive Workplace
57 minutes
A professional with a disability may also have an aptitude for project management, graphic design, or full-stack development. But physical and social barriers in the world of work can make it difficult to fully capitalize on those skills—or worse, prevent them from securing gainful employment at all. Liz Johnson, a Paralympic gold-medalist and founder of The Ability People, seeks to knock down these barriers by helping organizations redefine how they view people with disabilities in the workforce. And in this course, she shares strategies that can help you do the same.
Discover how to sidestep conversations that don't serve your colleagues. Learn how to classify the appropriateness of offering assistance. Plus, get tips on how to select the best employee for a role by focusing on the desired outcome of a task—not the methodology. Upon finishing this course, you'll be ready to start creating a more accessible workplace where employees with disabilities are set up to thrive.
Bonus Resources:
- De-Escalation in the Classroom Workshop - CTL Lunch and Learn
Facilitating Difficult Conversations
Having difficult conversations can be a daunting task. These conversations are often avoided, but this only causes problems to continue. Equal Opportunity Compliance and Title IX offers workshop options for Facilitating Difficult Conversations. Varying in length, the workshops address how to facilitate difficult conversations and offer tips and guidance on how to handle them professionally and with care. If you would like to participate in this workshop, please contact Equal Opportunity Compliance and Title IX for more information.
If an in-person workshop is not ideal, please view a condensed version of the Difficult Conversations workshop below.