Safety Council Meeting- FY 26 December

Join us for our upcoming Safety Council meeting. These monthly meetings take place on the first Thursday of each month at the Neeley Center from 11:30 am to 1 pm. Just a friendly reminder, members of the safety council are required to attend a minimum of 10 meetings during the fiscal year 2026 to qualify for a rebate on their workers' compensation premium.

Topic of this meeting: Crucial and Difficult Conversations

Strong leaders and effective teams must be able to navigate difficult conversations with clarity, confidence, and respect. Whether addressing performance issues, navigating conflict, or handling challenging clients, the ability to engage in crucial conversations is a core skill for success in any organization.

This engaging workshop explores the tools and mindset needed to lead productive and professional conversations—even when the stakes are high. Based on the Crucial Conversations framework, this session outlines key techniques to prepare for, conduct, and follow up on difficult conversations while preserving relationships and achieving positive outcomes.

Participants will walk away with a practical framework and actionable strategies to handle high-stakes discussions with greater ease and effectiveness. Objectives include:

· Understand what makes a conversation “crucial”

· Learn tools to manage emotions and stay focused on desired outcomes

· Practice techniques to ensure respectful and productive dialogue

· Build confidence in addressing tough topics constructively

Speaker: Dorinda Byers

With more than 20 years of experience, Dorinda possesses a proven track record of increasing organizational effectiveness, shaping cultures, strengthening teams, and positioning clients for sustainability and growth. Dorinda’s diverse employment background includes workforce, outreach, sales, and economic development in community colleges, manufacturing, and universities. Dorinda holds a Master’s degree from Muskingum University and a Bachelor’s from Ohio State and is a Business Development Consultant at the Ohio Auditor of State where she leads business development and marketing for various AOS business lines, including: Ohio Performance Team, Local Government Services, Uniform Accounting Network, Special Investigations Unit, AOS Training, Open Government Unit and other customer facing AOS divisions. She loves to cook, read, walk, travel, and spend time with her husband and spoil her nieces and nephews. Ms. Byers has presented at more than 50 state conferences and at nationwide conferences. She is known as a dynamic and engaging presenter and has been in the field of adult learning and training for more than 20 years.