SKILLS WORKSHOP:
Having Difficult Conversations

This virtual workshop provides a rapid overview of the skills and philosophy that I’ve developed over 10+ years of mediating along with my experiences teaching, working in customer service, and being married.

This workshop can be held either in an open format (e.g. Facebook live) or for a closed group via Zoom. In both cases, all participants will have the opportunity to chat with me and each other, reflect on their previous experiences, practice new skills, and get feedback.

IMPORTANT: given the time constrained format, this workshop emphasizes content coverage more than skill building. I recommend coming prepared to take notes (I am a professor, after all). For interested groups and individuals, I can provide follow-up exercises to continue practicing and support long term skill-building.

In 90 minutes, we will cover the following:

  • Structured Communication—A Crash Course

  • Top 5 Cognitive Biases Standing in the Way of Good Conversation

  • Skill 1: Communicating with Intent

  • Skill 2: Perspective Taking

  • Skill 3: Listening to Understand

  • Skill 4: Speaking to be Heard

  • Skill 5: Asking Questions

  • Skill 6: Separate the People from the Problem

For an introduction to all of these topics, see this pre-work handout.

ABOUT ME

I began mediating in 2008, and have trained mediators and taught groups including volunteers, professionals, police, and graduate students in skills including communication and conflict resolution. I was first trained and certified by Community Mediation Maryland and I am currently a volunteer mediator with the Chicago Center for Conflict Resolution. I received my PhD in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013 and completed my postdoctoral fellowship at the Kellogg School of Management. I am now an Assistant Professor at the UCL School of Management, University College London where I teach negotiation and research group decision-making. My research has been published in venues including the Harvard Business Review, Science, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Ask me about brunch.