Dealing with Difficult People Workshops

Elinor F. Whitmore is Vice-President of ADR at the Stitt Feld Handy Group, a division of ADR Chambers, and is a mediator, facilitator, trainer, and certified professional coach.

As a mediator and coach, Elinor's primary focus is to help people resolve conflicts in the workplace.  Since 1992, Elinor has mediated all manner of workplace conflicts including disputes between colleagues, between managers and employees, and within teams. Whether working with individuals, pairs or teams, Elinor combines her strong conflict resolution and problem solving skills with her understanding of individuals and interpersonal dynamics.  Elinor helps her clients to have difficult conversations, resolve conflicts, and improve workplace functioning, communication and morale.  In 1999, Elinor was awarded the designation of Chartered Mediator.

In addition to mediating and coaching, Elinor teaches mediation, conflict resolution and how to deal with difficult people and have difficult conversations.  She has taught throughout Canada, the United States, Australia, the Caribbean, and the United Kingdom including customized programs for such clients as: the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario, BDO Dunwoody, Honda, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission, and the RCMP.  She has been a member of the part-time faculty at Osgoode Hall Law School and has lectured on mediation and conflict resolution at the University of Toronto Law School and at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. She also co-designed the advanced program on Mediating Interpersonal Disputes for St. Stephen's Conflict Resolution Service.

Elinor received her LL.B. in 1990 from Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the bar in 1992.  Elinor attended many programs in dispute resolution including the Harvard Mediation Workshop and the Harvard Advanced Negotiation Workshop.  She also completed a mediation internship at the Ontario Court (Provincial Division). In 1998 she earned her LL.M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Osgoode Hall Law School where she studied Advanced Mediation.

In addition to her training and experience as a mediator, Elinor is qualified to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and has been certified as a professional and personal coach by the Adler School of Professional Coaching.