From co-workers and colleagues to friends and family, we are faced with challenging relationships daily. Unfortunately, we often go about managing them the wrong way. Only by elevating our understanding of behavior and acting through an internalized approach will we be able to master the conflicts created by dealing with difficult people. Jay Johnson is a trainer specializing in communication and leadership development. Using a unique perspective of behavioral intelligence, Jay empowers people and organizations across the globe stretching from Main Street to Wall Street. Jay is a designated Master Trainer through the Association for Talent Development (ATD). He is a two-time Excellence in Training Award recipient from the National Association of Professional Communication Consultants and in 2017 he was named “Top Trainer” by the ATD Detroit Chapter. Jay has a devotion to teaching and learning, and is passionate about inspiring people to reach peak performance in work and in life. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Have you ever wanted to avoid someone because they were just too difficult to deal with? On what grounds do we reject or dismiss those people we work with at work or community? Social Entrepreneur Karen Gordon will elaborate on why there is no such thing as a “difficult” person, and how you can establish develop better relationships with others for long-term organizational success. Karen Gordon is a serial entrepreneur who has been helping individuals reach their highest potential for 20+ years.

Karen has spent her career learning the leadership and management techniques people need to thrive. In 2010, she founded 5 Dynamics, workflow-oriented set of tools that companies like LinkedIn and IDEO use to empower team environments, increase workforce productivity and collaboration, and develop strong leaders. Her company’s methodology is based on groundbreaking neuroscience and psychometrics research on maximizing human potential.

Karen is passionate about helping others create resonance in their lives through a deep understanding of why we do what we do. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

The story of this medium-sized town start like that of so many other medium-sized towns in North America: Early industrialization and heavy manufacturing provided post-WWII economic windfalls to shareholders, employees and citizens alike. The 1980's then resulted in a consecutive collapse of industrial operations. The town is left with vast tracks of vacant lands and the resulting economic hardship. But in this story, the town identifies an under-utilized, seemingly unused asset that can help to create jobs, rebrand the city identity and rally a community around a new source of future economic gain.