Session 701: Star Trek and Conflict: Even Klingons Can Be Reasonable

Friday, August 7 at 9:00 AM

No one runs into conflict intentionally. Usually it hits a manager or another employee like a photon torpedo, and far too often people are ill-prepared to handle these challenging scenarios. Do you manage the situation or the person? What are the best practices to mitigate the problem and deescalate the incident? Denis Rudd and Tom Wilk will open your view screens to the multitude of techniques that can be used to address conflict in business environments. Through the lens (flare) of Star Trek, they will eradicate your preconceived notions about conflict. Set your phasers to stun and get ready for warp!

This session will cover:
• An understanding of basic conflict management theory
• Best practices for handling challenging situations
• Exercises for managing conflict

Denis Rudd

General Manager

New Horizons Pittsburgh

Refer to CV attached as additional file.

Tom Wilk

PC Engineer Manager

CMU

Tom Wilk is the PC Engineering manager at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He has become a performance improvement leader helping employees find their way along their career path. Recently he has started mentoring others and consulting to help others become performance management leaders. Tom recently serves as the President of the Steel City Chapter in Pittsburgh after holding the VP of Programs for two years. Additionally he is the Committee Chair for National Sponsorship Programs for HDI Local Chapters Inc.