When was the last time you had a high emotion conversation? As public servants, it can be common to be on the receiving end of aggressive verbal communication from residents and businesses. Sometimes it is strategic but more often it’s a function of pent up frustration that ends up being directed at you, the municipal employee. These situations can be difficult to manage and are becoming more common due to the stress created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

How do you resolve these conversations when one party is less willing to listen or reason? Join us for this virtual session on February 9, 2021 from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. where we explore practical strategies to de-escalate emotionally charged conversations and reach a position of mutual understanding.

Our speaker is Barbara McNeil, a Chartered Mediator, Qualified Arbitrator, and President of Alberta’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute. Barbara will offer insight into how to manage these conversations based on her 30+ years of experience as a mediator, facilitator, adjudicator, and trainer in dispute resolution.

You will leave this session with a heightened awareness of how to manage high emotion situations to support yourself and your team members in public service delivery.