Colleen L. Byers, J.D., MBA is a former commercial litigator who now dedicates her practice to facilitating difficult conversations through mediation, executive leadership coaching, and professional development training. Colleen is a sought-after thought leader who has been invited to speak and train nationally and globally on topics including coaching for performance, effective negotiation, and professional well-being. She has lectured at Wake Forest University School of Law and Campbell School of Law.

Colleen is proud to be a triple Blue Jay, having obtained a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Business Administration, and Juris Doctorate from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, North Carolina Super Lawyers, and Business North Carolina Legal Elite, Young Guns. In 2020, Colleen was named Lawyer of the Year by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly.

Colleen is triple certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission to mediate Superior Court, Family Financial, and matters pending before the Clerk of Superior Court. She is accredited as an Associate Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation and is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT200).

8:30 a.m. Habit 1 – Prepare

• Prepare yourself
• Prepare your client
• Manage your physical space
• Manage your headspace
• Identify a clear goal
• Understand the role of neurobiology in negotiations
• Understand the conflict loop and how to break free of it

9:00 a.m. Habit 2 - Build Trust and Rapport

• Share your goals and begin finding common ground
• Stay curious
• Watch out for judgment and evaluation
• Use open-ended questions
• Listen with purpose
• Summarize and reflect back

9:30 a.m. Habit 3 - Manage Emotions – Yours And Theirs

• Anticipate objections
• Dodge defensiveness
• Acknowledge the concern
• Utilize Nonviolent Communication (NVC)
• Utilize Bill Eddy’s EAR

10:00 a.m. Case Study and Exercise

10:30 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m. Habit 4 - Analyze BATNA and WATNA

• Understand how to determine your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)
• Understand how to determine their Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)
• Understand how to determine your Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (WATNA)
• Understand how to determine their Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (WATNA)

11:15 a.m. Habit 5 - Utilize An Interest-Based Negotiation Model

• Understand the difference between positions and needs/interests
• Get beneath positions to uncover needs/interests
• Identify common ground

11:45 a.m. Habit 6 - Engage in Brainstorming and Joint Problem Solving

• Learn how to generate options without evaluating them
• Learn a strategy for evaluating options while avoiding impasse
• Find a mutually agreeable solution

12:15 p.m. Conclusions & Questions

• Learn the 6 habits you can adopt to become a better negotiator
• Identify preparatory steps that will help ensure a smooth negotiation
• Know how to determine your best and worst alternatives to negotiated agreements
• Understand and utilize interest-based negotiation models to find common ground
• Discover tools you can use to temper and manage emotions in a negotiation

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