Difficult Conversations

Relevance to Practice

As a dental hygienist you may at times have to engage in difficult conversations with your clients, co-workers, employers, colleagues, or other individuals in your professional and personal life. When discussing difficult issues, do you find it difficult to begin the conversation, to deliver your message clearly and powerfully without provoking the other person, to persuade difficult people, to manage strong emotions, or to discuss issues that take you by surprise? You may already be a good communicator, but you may like to improve your communication skills in difficult conversations to achieve better results and to be more effective in all areas of your life. This course will assist you in developing and improving your communication skills when involved in difficult conversations.

About the Course Developers

The Stitt Feld Handy Group is a world leader in providing training and practice for negotiation and alternative dispute resolution. The firm conducts workshops in negotiation and alternative dispute resolution in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

This online course is an attempt by the group to bring their renowned negotiation workshops to a global audience.

The simulations were written by Allan Stitt and Michael Gibson. They were directed and animated in Flash by Michael Gibson. The Negotiation Notes were written by Elinor Whitmore and Allan Stitt.

Biographies

Allan Stitt is a mediator, arbitrator, and professional negotiator at Stitt Feld Handy Group in Toronto. He is adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Law School, and a lecturer at University of Windsor Law School, teaching courses in negotiation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

While obtaining his Harvard Law School degree, Allan studied negotiation and ADR with Professor Roger Fisher, Professor Frank Sander, and Bruce Patton. He subsequently completed advanced negotiation training at Harvard. Allan returned to Harvard on a number of occasions to act as a teaching assistant to Professor Fisher. Allan is past president of the ADR Institute of Canada, past president of the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Canada, past president of the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Ontario, and a past chair of the ADR Section of the Canadian Bar Association (Ontario). He has designed ADR systems for a number of organizations including the Canadian Bankers Association, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the Law Society of Upper Canada, and Canadian Tire Corporation.

Michael Gibson is president of Zapdramatic, a wholly owned subsidiary of Stitt Feld Handy Group. Zapdramatic creates interactive dramatic simulations for the delivery of learning content over the web.

Prior to being ensnared in the World Wide Web, Michael wrote, directed, and produced many educational videos, including "Introduction to Mediation" and "Simmons Funeral Home" for Stitt Feld Handy Group. Michael's TV work includes the documentary series My Canada Includes Quebec, and the award winning shorts "The Bellringer" and "When Edgar Returns."

In 1990, Michael wrote, directed, and produced the feature film Defy Gravity, starring R.H. Thomson and Simon Reynolds.

Michael is an active member of the Writers Guild of Canada and the Academy of Canadian Cinema.

Elinor Whitmore is vice president of ADR at Stitt Feld Handy Group, where she practices as a mediator, negotiator, facilitator, professional coach, and ADR systems design consultant.

After earning her B.A. at Queen's University in 1987, Elinor received her LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the bar in 1992. In 1998, Elinor received an LL.M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Osgoode Hall Law School. Elinor has attended many workshops in dispute resolution including the Harvard Mediation Workshop; the Harvard Advanced Negotiation Workshop, Mediating Interpersonal Conflict Workshops offered by St. Stephen's Conflict Resolution Service; and Basic and Advanced Family Mediation workshops offered by the University of Toronto. Elinor also completed a mediation internship at the Ontario Court (Provincial Division). Prior to joining Stitt Feld Handy Group, Elinor practiced as a lawyer and mediator.

Elinor teaches the University of Windsor/Stitt Feld Handy Group ADR and advanced ADR workshops. Elinor also designs and teaches negotiation, mediation, and ADR workshops provided by Stitt Feld Handy Group to various organizations. She has designed and taught conflict resolution workshops in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Elinor is a chartered mediator (C.Med.) who has mediated civil, commercial, employment, workplace, personal injury, breach of contract, and family disputes. She has also acted as a negotiation consultant in a variety of contexts.

Elinor is also a personal and professional coach. Elinor works one-on-one with clients who wish to attain a higher level of performance, learning, and satisfaction.