Overview

A highly practical, immediately implementable guide to getting good at conflict at work. The ability to engage with healthy conflict is a crucial element of high performance, and the foundation of collaborative, inclusive and innovative cultures. Drawing on the latest evidence and thinking from psychology and coaching research, Smart Conflict will equip you with the skills you need to manage conflict with confidence and compassion. As experienced conflict and leadership team coaches, Alice Driscoll and Louise van Haarst know that not enough conflict, of the right kind, is just as damaging to teams and organizations as having too much of the wrong kind. Whether your default conflict style is avoidant, inflexible or aggressive, this book will give you the tools to embrace Smart Conflict and transform your leadership, your team and maybe your life.

Full Product Details

Author:   Alice Driscoll ,  Louise van Haarst
Publisher:   Practical Inspiration Publishing
Imprint:   Practical Inspiration Publishing
Dimensions:   Width: 14.00cm , Height: 1.70cm , Length: 21.60cm
ISBN:  

9781788606561

ISBN 10:   1788606566
Pages:   250
Publication Date:   16 September 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Preface (why we wrote this book, what to expect, how to use it) Note to Reader (health warning) Quick-start Guide (where to go for emergency help!) Introduction (what is Smart Conflict?) Part 1 – The Problem Chapter 1: Why we fear conflict, in life and work Chapter 2: It’s personal and professional: Why learning to manage conflict will transform your leadership, your team and your life Chapter 3: The influence of family, culture and gender on conflict style and response. Chapter 4: The (six?) most common hard conversations at work Chapter 5: A high-level introduction to the 5R model Part 2 – The Solution: The 5Rs The Five Rs of Smart Conflict – Reflect, Regulate, Readiness, Response, Repair Chapter 6: Reflect (Is it really about my mother?) Chapter 7: Regulate (calm the f**k down) Chapter 8: Readiness (it’s go time) Chapter 9: Response (choose it) Chapter 10: Repair (and how Sood Conflict can lead to better relationships) Part 3: The Future * Chapter 11: Making it stick What if I want to learn more? Further resources and reading Acknowledgements Index

Reviews

Author Information

Alice Driscoll and Louise van Haarst are the co-founders of The Power House, a global leadership development business focused on unlocking human and organizational potential. They combine decades of experience coaching leaders, founders, executive teams and boards in household name companies across a wide range of sectors for thousands of hours. They met at Henley Business School studying for the MSc in Coaching and Behaviour Change and between them hold accreditations with the International Coaching Federation, the European Mentoring and Coaching Council and in Mediation and Conflict Resolution. Together, they are on a mission to support leaders to build conflict-competent cultures in organizations everywhere.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions