Navigating Relational Tension in High-stakes Conversations
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 5:30-8PM | CUNY @ Amazon (12 W 39th St)
About The Session
As we progress in our careers, our hardest conversations at work go far beyond delivering constructive feedback during performance reviews.
We become increasingly responsible for leading our colleagues and organizations through demanding dynamics that cause real relational tension:
- Unwanted or unexpected organizational change
- Mission-critical performance gaps
- Succession planning in a highly competitive culture
In this session, get to know the relational intelligence skills of highly capable talent leaders who expertly co-navigate complexity with others. Practice tapping into these skills to excel at hard conversations in some of the most challenging areas for talent development leaders: change management, performance improvement, and talent strategy & management.
Participant Outcomes:
- Learn simple steps to create psychological safety with others
- Learn the art of giving and receiving difficult information
- Receive a clear framework for navigating conflict
- Learn how we respond to challenging feedback, and how to do it gracefully
- Downloadable or printed worksheet provided to participants
Who Should Attend
- Anyone who has tough conversations in their careers
- Both organizational people leaders, and entrepreneurs with external stakeholders
- Those who aspire to people management and/or more cross-functional collaboration
About Our Presenters
Gabe DeRita, PCC | Relational Leadership Coach @ Effective Connection
Gabriel (Gabe) DeRita is a relational intelligence & communications coach renowned for helping executives master crucial conversations, build stronger team connections, and achieve measurable improvements in collaboration and performance. With extensive experience coaching senior leaders from global Fortune 500 companies such as Airbnb, LinkedIn, Goldman Sachs, PayPal, Dropbox, and Gab, Gabriel brings proven strategies and actionable frameworks to every organization he supports.
In a previous career, he held successful management and sales roles in the technology and tourism sectors, before hitting hard reset in 2018 to leave everything behind and live on a bicycle for a year to find deeper meaning and purpose. He found it in his current role, and Gabriel now dedicates himself fully to empowering leaders through executive coaching, interactive training and experiential workshops. His practical, engaging approach ensures leaders immediately gain tools they can apply to their toughest workplace conversations and most valuable relationships.
When he's not leading a workshop or coaching clients, you can find Gabe touring the world by bicycle, foraging wild edible mushrooms, or defending his garden against unforgiving Colorado weather.
Investment
- Members: Free
- Non-Members: $45
Venue Information
CUNY @ Amazon
12 W 39th St, Lobby Level
New York, New York 10018
Contacts
Questions can be directed to our program contacts:
- Programs Team | programs@atdnyc.org
- Emily Burnett | VP of Programs | emily.burnett@atdnyc.org
- Daisy Gonzalez | AVP of Programs | daisy.gonzalez@atdnyc.org
- Jaq Poussot | AVP of Programs | jaq.poussot@atdnyc.org
- Leslie Schaffer | AVP of Programs | leslie.schaffer@atdnyc.org
