This pre-conference program is an optional add-on and requires a separate registration fee.

HR professionals face conflict daily but rarely receive training in the skills mediators use to help people find their own way forward. Mediators don't solve problems for people—they create conditions where people solve problems themselves. That shift builds lasting conflict management capacity rather than dependence on HR to fix every dispute. This interactive session teaches core skills mediators practice daily: understanding conflict dynamics and emotional intelligence, creating psychological safety, asking questions that open rather than close, sitting with discomfort without rushing to solutions, and empowering people to generate their own options. Drawing on decades as a critical care nurse and professional mediator, Kim Best demonstrates how these skills translate directly to workplace conflict—reducing HR's burden while building stronger teams. Participants leave with practical techniques they can implement immediately, transforming their role from fixer to facilitator.