Calm in the Crossfire: Neuroscience & Negotiation Skills Every Leader Needs

Conflict is an inevitable part of organizational life, but staying stuck in it is a choice. In this interactive session designed specifically for HR professionals, you will explore the science behind why our brains "hijack" rational thought during tension and learn how to pivot teams toward productive resolution.

By blending the Thomas-Kilmann conflict framework with advanced, interest-based negotiation techniques, this session equips you with the tools you need to de-escalate high-emotion situations, shift parties from rigid positions to shared interests, and facilitate sustainable, mutually agreeable outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the Neurobiology of Tension: Understand the "Amygdala Hijack" and its immediate impacts on workplace communication.
• Map Personal Conflict Styles: Evaluate individual responses to conflict using the Thomas-Kilmann framework.
• Apply Interest-Based Negotiation: Learn to shift parties from rigid "positions" to shared "interests" to create win-win resolutions.

Speaker Bios

Serenity Donnellon is a dedicated conflict resolution expert who brings a deeply human and biological perspective to managing tension. Currently a professional mediator and conflict coach, Serenity previously served as the Legal Operations Manager for the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, where she oversaw mediation and diversion programs for hundreds of cases annually. Her extensive background spans high-stakes environments in both the legal system and organizational development, with experience ranging from criminal and neighborhood disputes to complex litigation client relations.

Serenity holds a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Arts in International Cultural Studies from BYU Hawaii. She is passionate about leveraging the neurobiology of conflict to help teams de-escalate high-emotion situations and build sustainable, collaborative workplace cultures.

Lance Youngblood is a mediator and founder of Conflict Solutions of Southern Colorado, where he works with individuals, teams, and organizations to navigate high‑stakes conflict and difficult conversations. After a 30‑year career as an enterprise technology executive with companies like IBM, Lance transitioned into mediation, bringing a deep understanding of how complex decisions are made under pressure and in rapidly changing environments. He now helps individuals, families, and business professionals recognize how bias and threat responses shape conflict—in the workplace and beyond—and how to manage them more effectively. 

He believes that true resolution requires justice that is fair, mercy that is generous, and grace that restores relationships.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Colorado Springs SHRM