HR CAREER PATHS:
Sue Lefebvre
MSW, RSW, PCC
CONFLICT RESOLUTION COACH
By Kristy Rydz
career paths
While most people avoid conflict, Sue Lefebvre knows
tackling it head-on is the key to helping individuals
and teams develop their interpersonal skills and con-flict
competence.
Lefebvre’s interest in the often cringed-at topic of conflict first
sparked in the 1990s when she entered the field of conflict resolu-tion
while working as an HR advisor at the House of Commons.
She had been tasked with drafting its initial harassment prevention
policy and while developing it, Lefebvre took an alternate dispute
resolution training course.
“Although I already had a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a
master’s degree in social work, when I took this certification, my life
changed. I thought, ‘This is the crossroads of community develop-ment,
organizational development and developmental psychology,’”
she said.
After certifying as a conflict resolution practitioner, Lefebvre
worked in harassment prevention within several federal government
departments, subsequently trained as an organizational develop-ment
practitioner and is now an internationally certified coach.
Her more than 20-year public service HR career focused on
conflict resolution, executive development, career transition and or-ganizational
wellbeing – all with the goal of guiding individuals and
teams to resolve complex and sensitive issues.
Now running her own practice, Lefebvre provides both private
and public sector clients with conflict coaching, training and orga-nizational
development services based on her expertise in creating
trust-based relationships.
HR Professional asked her about the skills she brings – and helps
develop in her clients – to problem solve the most difficult situations.
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HRPATODAY.CA ❚ JULY/AUGUST 2016 ❚ 41