Integrating Mediation Skills into Planning Practice: Better Conversations, Stronger Relationships

Advisors often find themselves in the middle of emotionally charged conversations between spouses with different goals, families navigating inheritance, or clients facing life transitions. Yet few receive training in how to manage interpersonal conflict effectively. In this interactive session, financial planner and professional mediator Leah Hadley shares practical mediation strategies to help advisors build trust, facilitate collaborative decision-making, and confidently handle tough conversations.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize common sources of conflict in financial planning engagements and identify early signs of emotional escalation.
2. Apply core mediation techniques—including reflective listening, reframing, and neutrality—to enhance communication with clients.
3. Facilitate productive conversations between clients with opposing views (e.g., spouses, siblings, business partners).