Paris, TN — October 15, 2025 — On Tuesday, October 14, The Mill Workspace and the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce partnered to host a leadership-based workshop titled, Navigating Difficult Conversations. The workshop was geared toward helping managers and owners addressing performance issues with employees. The presentation was led by Merry Brown, West Tennessee author and founder of Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services, LLC.
During the workshop, Brown informed attendees of practical approaches to building relationships with professional colleagues, and appropriate methods for handling conflict at work.
She outlined four specific steps to help organize deliberate and thoughtful conversations in which all parties could work toward a solution. She reminded attendees to keep the conversation open by actively listening to one another with controlled emotional responses. She also noted the importance of having a specific goal in mind before beginning the conversation. Brown calls this strategy the restorative approach.
Attendees said the workshop was very helpful with practical encouraging information for those challenged when facing difficult conversations in the workplace. Another participant said they enjoyed learning about the true impact that conflict can have in a workplace.
This workshop is one in a series available to business owners across the nine counties of Northwest Tennessee.
About The Mill Workspace: The Mill Workspace, a DBA of Northwest Tennessee Entrepreneurship, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)3 entrepreneur center located in Dyersburg, TN and focused on serving entrepreneurs in the nine counties of Northwest Tennessee. They help businesses through one-on-one counseling, workshops, and multi-week programs all designed to help businesses in the region start up and grow.
Programs at The Mill are funded in part by a grant from LaunchTN.
