In honor of Women’s History Month, the northeastern Civil Rights Service Team collaborated with the Northern Research Station, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, Eastern Region, and Forest Products Laboratory in the presentation of the 2017 Women’s Day of Training Program.

The program featured a powerful workshop on negotiation skills for employees across several Forest Service units. Regional Forester Kathleen Atkinson provided opening remarks for the program. Darlene Floyd, master trainer with Horizons Management & Training Consulting, presented a two-hour workshop on “Making Your Words Count: Negotiating for Results.” Participants were able to develop a blueprint for engaging in the art of negotiation that they can use in both professional and personal ventures. Key points of the training included negotiation as a necessary part of life, techniques of negotiation, and tools and best practices for successful negotiations.

Floyd used role plays and real life scenarios to drive home learning objectives. Most importantly, she removed the stigma often associated with the art of negotiation with her engaging presentation techniques. Many employees expressed sincere gratitude for the workshop.