Participants will learn to understand the nature of difficult conversations and the seven stages involved in managing them. The course emphasizes the importance of empathy, preparation, and best practices for initiating and delivering conversations. Through interactive activities and real-life scenarios, learners will practice and refine their skills in a safe and supportive environment. This course is designed to:Understand the nature of difficult conversations and what it takes to handle them. Identify the seven stages of handling difficult conversations. Use empathy to minimize negative responses and strengthen relationships. Apply best practices for preparing, initiating, and delivering the conversation. Discover how to generate solutions and bring the conversation to a close. Register via TrainTraq (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/SectionDetails.aspx?snum=12256) by December 5th.If the registration deadline has passed or the date for this section doesn't work for you, please visit the Course Details (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/CourseDetails.aspx?cnum=2114894) page and click on the Upcoming Sections tab to explore other available options.

Ready to Retire This session offers a general review of Teacher Retirement System (TRS) benefits for employees approaching retirement. Topics include eligibility requirements, tiers, benefit calculations, retirement plan options, death benefits, and rules regarding employment after retirement.Registration (https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=44HzaNpGuUe6V28yK48NoZLwlS7KAvRMnfXuU0gtI6hURFVXVzhGM1pDS1hDNFFMMUc3TkJVR01STC4u) is required. Visit Upcoming Retirement and Financial Planning Events (https://employees.tamu.edu/benefits/retirement/index.html) to see a full list of events and resources.