Meeting/Event Information

Calm in the Conflict: De-escalation and Conflict Navigation for HR Professionals

Presented by Yarden Blumstein, Executive Director of the Resolution Services Center of Central Michigan

Description

HR professionals are often the first call when tensions rise, whether it’s a heated conversation, a complaint between colleagues, or an employee in distress. This interactive one-hour workshop offers practical, ready-to-use tools for staying grounded in difficult moments, calming escalating situations, and guiding people toward resolution. Drawing on proven practices from mediation and restorative approaches, participants will practice real-world scenarios and leave with strategies they can use the very next day to protect relationships, support employees, and build healthier workplace cultures.

Learning outcomes

Participants will be able to:

1.     Recognize the early signs of escalation and how stress affects the way people think, hear, and respond.

2.     Use practical de-escalation techniques, including tone, body language, active listening, and validating language, to calm tense situations.

3.     Apply simple frameworks for navigating workplace conflict that uncovers underlying interests and moves people toward resolution.

4.     Stay regulated and grounded themselves, so they can lead with clarity and care in difficult conversations.

About Yarden Blumstein

Yarden Blumstein is the Executive Director of the Resolution Services Center of Central Michigan, a nonprofit that helps individuals, families, schools, workplaces, and communities across six counties navigate conflict through mediation and restorative practices. Before joining RSCCM, he spent 15 years as Director of Programming at Friendship Circle of Michigan, where he built programs, led teams, and supported families through challenging moments.

Yarden holds certifications in mediation, de-escalation, suicide prevention, and the Predictive Index, and is completing a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He brings warmth, practical tools, and a deep belief that conflict, handled well, can strengthen relationships and organizations rather than divide them.

Pending Approval for 1 continuing education credit through HRCI and SHRM.

Location: Lansing Community College – West Campus, 5708 Cornerstone Drive, Lansing, MI  48917

Register By: Wednesday, January 3, 2027 @ 11:00PM

Meeting Agenda:

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM  Lunch, Networking & Announcements

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Presentation

1:00 PM Meeting End

**This meeting will be held both in-person and virtually. If you attend virtually, announcements will start approximately 15 minutes prior to the presentation.