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Dealing with Difficult People: Tips to Handle the Cactus in Your Life

Tips to Handle the Cactus in Your Life: 
This agenda explores the complexities of human behavior and communication within interpersonal interactions. The session begins by addressing the psychological aspect of perceiving others as difficult, emphasizing that often our challenges with others stem from our own perceptions. It then delves into self-awareness, prompting participants to reflect on their personal conversation style as a potential factor in difficult interactions. The discussion progresses to identify both ineffective and effective communication practices, highlighting specific communication types that commonly lead to conflict in workplace settings. Practical guidance is offered through five strategic tips aimed at improving communication skills. Lastly, the agenda offers advice on managing challenging relationships metaphorically referred to as ‘the cactus in your life,’ providing tools for handling interactions with individuals who may be prickly or difficult to engage with constructively. 
 
 
About our Speaker - Terri Mayes
Terri Mayes is a Senior Project Lead at American Honda Motor Company, responsible for strategic business and application planning across several North American divisions including IT services, cybersecurity, development, and data platforms. She holds a BS in Computer Information Systems from Spelman College and an MS in Computer Science and Engineering from Auburn University, along with certifications in business relationship management, agile methodologies, leadership, and coaching.

With over 30 years of experience in IT, Terri has extensive expertise in team leadership, strategy, product and project management, process engineering, systems integration, testing, and implementing business technology solutions across manufacturing, telecommunications, and healthcare industries. 

Outside of work, Terri is actively involved in her church, serving on teams related to marriage/family, prayer, and small groups. She enjoys traveling, shopping, movies, meeting new people, and exploring new experiences. Terri has a husband, daughter, three sons, and three grandsons.
 
Organizers

IS

Ish Shrestha
VP-ProfessionalDevelopment@birmingham.iiba.org