Register now for the A.I. (Applied Insights) Conflict Management Series
From: The University Ombuds Office
Applied Insights, A.I., is a four-part virtual leadership and conflict management series designed for higher education professionals navigating conflict in complex academic environments. Moving beyond theory, this series helps participants apply insights into action by responding to challenges with intention and impact.
Through practical frameworks, real-world academic scenarios, and guided reflection, participants will build the confidence and competence to look within themselves and take action to better manage goals, handle difficult conversations and be better prepared for today’s accelerating world.
This free, virtual lunch session will be held the fourth Wednesday of each month at noon. Register for the series and attend as many of the sessions as you can. This is not an Artificial Intelligence series.
January A.I. – Applied Intention: When Good Intentions Stall: Reflective Goal Setting for Sustainable Work in 2026 (Jan. 28)
This session uses guided reflection to clarify professional intentions and introduces research-informed strategies for sustaining meaningful habits.
February A.I. – Appreciative Inquiry: Stepping from Avoidance to Curiosity (Feb. 25)
Applying the Appreciative Inquiry model we’ll develop self-awareness when we find ourselves in moments of conflict and shift our focus to exploring possibilities.
March A.I. – Aligned Interactions: Observation Without Judgment: A Skill for Difficult Conversations (March 25)
When conversations feel charged, judgment often slips in before we notice it. This Nonviolent Communication-focused session centers on the practice of observation without evaluation, offering tools to slow down, speak more precisely, and reduce defensiveness in difficult conversations.
April A.I. – Actionable Input: Giving and Receiving Feedback (April 29)
Feedback tends to be given ineffectively with a lack of specificity and so results in a lack of improvement. This session focus on how to give, and invite, feedback that is timely, specific and results in actionable change.
To register please email Ombuds@vt.edu.
If you are an individual needing accommodation, please email Serena Young no later than 10 business days prior to the event you are wanting to attend.