Heather N. Leon, MBA, SHRM-CP, CPM, CFCA

Senior Human Resources Manager of training and development - Pinellas County Tax Collector’s Office
Heather Leon

 

1:15-2:45 Wednesday Room B
Mastering Difficult Conversations

As leaders, we recognize that an engaged workforce is vital to achieving performance excellence, and many of us strive to create a positive workplace culture that lays the foundation for employee satisfaction and engagement. The truth is, most of us are fantastic leaders on a good day, but it is through trying times and difficult employee interactions that our leadership abilities are most tested. Effective communication, particularly in mastering difficult conversations, is crucial for building and maintaining the trust and constructive relationships essential to a high-performing team. Yet, this is where many of us fail. Whether it is because we don’t want to be “the bad guy” or we’re worried about hurting someone’s feelings, the only thing worse than communicating poorly in a difficult time is not communicating at all.

Objectives:
In this course, we will define what constitutes a difficult workplace conversation, develop a template for navigating the conversation you’ve been dreading, and prepare for follow-up, all while maintaining trust with your team and bringing out the best in others. At the end of this one-hour session, you will have both the courage, and the preparation required to tackle that conversation you don’t want to have but need to.

Heather Leon is the Senior Human Resources Manager of training and development for the Pinellas County Tax Collector’s Office. Mrs. Leon is a lifelong public servant who began her career in AmeriCorps National Service in New Orleans before returning home to Florida. Heather served the most vulnerable citizens of Florida with the Department of Children and Families for 15 years, working her way up from frontline employee to management and training, where she found her calling for human resources. Heather began serving the people in her home county of Pinellas with the three-time Sterling award winning tax collector’s office in 2017, where she has expanded the training team into a learning and development department, offering leadership development to all levels of staff.

Heather is a dedicated lifelong learner. She is a SHRM certified professional and holds an MBA from the University of South Florida. She graduated in August 2022 from the Certified Public Manager program at FSU. She uses all she has learned to promote her goal of empowering the workforce to excel and reach their fullest potential, with the objective to make the world of work better for everyone.

In her free time, Heather enjoys traveling with her husband, Jean-Marie, their four kids and two grandkids. They spend many weekends visiting beaches and enjoying outdoor activities. Heather is active in her youngest child’s school and her community.