Heavy Metal Conflict Management

Conflict management skills are invaluable not only in the workplace but for life in general. I have identified a series of movie clips that connect with the students and aid in bringing the theory to practice. The documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster shows the metal band Metallica producing an album and the many conflicts that ensued during the 2-year process. The somewhat unorthodox setting helps capture the attention of the students. This article describes a lecture and discussion guide that I use in an undergraduate management class. It can be easily used in an organizational behavior, leadership, or team class and also in a master’s-level class.