Transform Your Difficult Conversation into Productive Dialogue

As HR professionals, we have difficult conversations every day.  These can range from trying to influence our supervisor or higher-level manager to do the right thing, giving an employee a PIP or disciplinary action, or telling someone that the action they are about to take cannot be taken as it is against the law or will set a bad precedent.  Some difficult discussions elevate to full-blown unproductive conflict. Often, we avoid them.

As we anticipate the difficult conversation, our minds are riddled with automatic thoughts based on our bias about the individual or situation involved.  We rehearse the conversation in our heads, and it always turns out to be difficult. How can we eliminate the hijack of our automatic thoughts and reframe them into a productive response – in the moment?

During a difficult conversation or conflict, there are eighteen unproductive and destructive responses that we can demonstrate, resulting in loss of all power and credibility.  Choosing a productive response is actually your choice if you are aware of your personal bias, triggers, and pitfalls.

As part of attending this session, each participant will receive a complimentary Productive Conflict Profile by Wiley.  This personalized profile will illustrate your typical responses to difficult conversations and elevate self-awareness.  The profile will take you through self-directed exercises to help you turn difficult conversations into productive dialogue.

By attending this session, participants will:

• Learn how our automatic thoughts come to be and how to reframe them for productive dialogue

• Gain tips, tools and techniques to facilitate productive and meaningful conversations and conflict

• Review eighteen destructive behaviors that can totally destroy our credibility as HR Professionals during conflict, and learn what to do about them

All attendees will receive a complimentary Wiley Everything DiSC Productive Conflict Profile to discover your own personal approach to difficult conversations.  This is a gift from the Austin Alliance Group and valued at $96.00 plus tax.

About the speaker:

Leah Jaramillo, SHRM-SCP

Leah Jaramillo is a certified HR, Management, and Training professional with almost 20 years of experience ensuring organizational growth by leveraging technology and educational methodologies to establish results-oriented processes and people programs. Leah has a proven track record of helping leaders drive for high-achieving results through strategy integration and people relationships with a focus on financial, people service, and enterprising aspects of an organization. As an established operations management and organizational leader, Leah teaches leadership teams how to strategically align their talent with their resources to achieve their goals.

While completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at St. Edward’s University, her studies focused on the impact of employee wellbeing on organizational innovation and prosperity. She continued to research this topic while completing her MBA in Healthcare Management, driven by curiosity for how organizations can adapt to the changing needs of their workforce, and the communities they serve.

As a life-long learner and educator, Leah utilizes the following designations and certifications to conduct organizational assessments and apply employee development principles, frameworks, models, tools, and techniques to improve organizational design and performance.

• SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)
• Accredited Advisor in Insurance Management (AAI-M)
• Insurance Training Professional (ITP)
• Instructional Designer (ATD)
• Everything DiSC certified facilitator
• 5 Behaviors of a Cohesive Team certified facilitator

Leah is actively licensed as an insurance agent through the state of Texas for Property, Casualty, Life, Accident, Health and HMO, and joined the industry in 2004. She is also a member of the Austin Human Resource Management Association (AHRMA) and serves on its Board of Directors as Co-VP of Annual Conference. She stays abreast of trends and best practices through her membership in the following societies and associations: Industrial & Organizational Psychology (SIOP), Human Resource Management (SHRM), Insurance Trainers & Educators (SITE); Association for Talent Development (ATD); American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). Leah utilizes her resources and experiences as she develops educational opportunities for working professionals all over the country and HR practitioners of Travis & Williamson County, TX. Originally from California, Leah is “one of those people” that relocated to Austin, TX in 2006 with family and is now raising a Texan in Leander, TX. She is grateful to call this little oasis home and be part of a community uniquely situated to model the future of work. 

This program is valid for 1 PDC for the SHRM-CP^® or SHRM-SCP^®. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit www.shrmcertification.org.”

Mid Cities HR Association is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP^® or SHRM-SCP^®.

This program is preapproved for1 HR General credit through HRCI.

“The use of this official seal confirms that this Activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®)  criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.”

All online reservations are due by close of business on the Monday before the meeting.  Online registration will be closed at that time. 

Cancellations & Payments:
We regret that we must charge members and guests the cost of the event when cancellations are not received at least 48 hours prior to the event day. Also, all payments must be made before or by the time of attendance.  By submitting your registration, you agree to these conditions. We appreciate your understanding and support. 

Use of Materials

By attending an event affiliated with Mid-Cities HR Association (MCHRA), attendees consent and agree to being photographed and/or videoed.  Attendees agree to allow MCHRA to use, publish, and distribute their names, pictures, images, and voices (herein the “Materials”) for illustration, training, and/or marketing of MCHRA, in any and all forms of media, including but not limited to MCHRA's website, Facebook and LinkedIn. Attendees waive any right to review or approve any use of the Materials, any written copy, or any finished product. Attendees will not receive any compensation or payment for MCHRA's use of the Materials and waive any rights, claims, or interest in the Materials.