Coworker Conflict Practice Scenarios

Twenty-four ready-to-print role-plays for working disagreements between coworkers: raising a problem, hearing one well, and a manager helping two people agree a way forward, each with a setup card, role cards, debrief questions and model lines.

Who it is for

• Trainers and HR staff running conflict or communication workshops

• Managers and supervisors who end up settling disagreements between employees

• Small-business owners with a small team that works closely together

• Team leads who want their teams to raise problems early and calmly

• Anyone who wants to practice a difficult conversation with a coworker before having it

The problem it solves

Most coworker conflict starts small: a task left undone, a comment in a meeting, a message left unanswered. It grows when no one says anything, or when someone finally says something in the wrong moment and the wrong words. People get better at these conversations by practicing them, and managers get better at helping two people agree by running a joint meeting in practice first. This pack gives you twenty-four realistic scenarios from varied workplaces, at three levels, in four focus areas: raising a problem, hearing one, a manager's separate conversations, and a manager-led joint meeting. Every role card holds a reason the other person does not know yet, so listening changes the outcome. A guide explains the conversation steps, the words that help in difficult moments, how to run a round in person and online, and how to keep practice safe.

What is inside

• Copyright, how to use the pack and terms explained (3 pages)

• Guide (5 pages): the conversation steps for each focus area, facts that pass the Replay Test, openings and responses for difficult moments, running a practice round in person and online, playing the roles and keeping practice safe, debriefing and adapting the scenarios to your workplace

• Scenario chooser (1 page): all 24 by setting, channel, level and focus

• 24 scenarios (12 pages): a setup card and two or three role cards each, to cut apart, with practice goal, observer focus and debrief questions

• Observer checklist (2 pages): blank and filled in

• Scenario card template (2 pages): blank and filled in

• Answer key (4 pages): model opening lines, responses and agreements for every scenario

• Editable Word file (41 pages): every scenario as editable cards, plus the checklist, template and answer key

How to use it

1. Read the guide page on the conversation steps for the focus area you will practice.

2. Choose scenarios from the chooser, then print and cut the cards.

3. Run rounds in threes, or fours for joint meetings, with an observer.

4. Debrief in order, then share the model lines from the answer key.

Formats and file types

• PDF guide, scenario cards and answer key, 29 pages, US Letter, print or screen

• Word (.docx), all 24 scenarios as editable cards, with checklist, template and answer key

• Licensed for internal use by the purchasing organization

Frequently asked questions