The University of Hawaii at Hilo, UH-Hilo Women’s Center, Hawaii Women’s Leadership Forum, YWCA of Hawaii Island and Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center are collaborating to present negotiation and communication workshops in East and West Hawaii.
“Negotiation Skills for Women” will be from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. followed by “Communication Skills of Highly Effective People” from 1:30-4 p.m. Jan. 11 in Hilo and Jan. 12 in Kona. The Hilo workshop will take place at UH-Hilo, UCB 127, and the Kona workshop will be at Hawaii Community College-Palamanui, Panini Building, Room 127.
The workshops will be led by trained facilitator and mediator Elizabeth Kent, J.D.
“We negotiate constantly — with our spouses, partners, bosses, children, peers and others,” Kent said. “Do you want to develop the skills you need to negotiate successfully and narrow the gender gap?”
In “Negotiation Skills for Women,” participants will take part in simulated negotiations, learning the stages and components of negotiation, including offers, counteroffers and modes of communication.
In “Communication Skills of Highly Effective People,” increase your emotional intelligence and communication, including being patient, personable, positive and respectful. Explore what to do when someone doesn’t communicate effectively and how to offer a great apology when you don’t.
“You can learn to listen with your head, heart and body — and to articulate clearly and directly using ‘I’ statements,” Kent said.
Kent has helped people and institutions find solutions to sticky problems for more than 25 years. She teaches graduate classes in conflict system design and negotiation at UH-Manoa and a variety of conflict resolution skills classes around the state.
Tuition is $50 for “Negotiation Skills for Women,” $30 for “Communication Skills of Highly Effective People” or $75 for both workshops. Partial scholarships are available. To register or apply for a scholarship, contact Erika Ginnis at Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center at 935-7844, ext. 1, or erika@hawaiimediation.org.
Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center’s “Tools to Transform Conflict” Training Series is made possible thanks in part to funding from the Hawaii County Department of Research and Development and Hawaii Island United Way.