The Colorado Technology Association (CSIA) is conducting a panel for distinguished Women In Technology on the topic of "Taking Time to Face Conflict: Important Conversations." CSIA asked Lisa Calkins, the CEO of Amadeus Consulting, a .NET software development company, to offer her distinct point of view, as she has been at the forefront of women in technology for over 20 years.

Women have a very different way of handling conflict, and everyone has been a part of a difficult conversation, from constructive criticism to lay-offs etc. Specifically, the panel will discuss and address how to handle those conversations in addition to:

• How to face conflict in the workplace
• How to develop a conversational script to address conflict in professional vs. emotional terms
• How to get the best outcome for both parties
• How to have a presentation without name calling, propaganda, etc.

Lisa Calkins is a thought leader in this topic, having just written the article "Benefits of Conflict: How to Leverage Healthy Conflict in Creative Development Teams," for Smashing Magazine, an online publication dedicated to creative and graphic design. The article delves in to the inevitability of conflict, particularly in user interface development teams, and the specific benefits that can result when it is handled well.

Amadeus Consulting is a custom software developer based in Boulder and has been in business since 1994. The company, started by Lisa Calkins and her business partner John Basso has seen the enormous change that has taken place in the technology sector over the past 16 years, including the role of women in C-level positions and their impact on the industry.

"Conflict is inevitable, and it is something that we recognize and welcome in our company because we don't feel that it is negative. This can be considered somewhat unusual, but we have found an intrinsic value to conflict in that it usually provides the best outcome and value for the end product. The key to successful conflict is providing a platform and a rule-set for the parties involved, " says Lisa Calkins about her unique view of conflict.

The panel for CSIA's Women in Technology will be presented at ViaWest in Denver on Thursday December 2^nd, from 6-9PM.

Amadeus Consulting is a custom software development company dedicated to creating intelligent technology solutions with successful business results. Amadeus Consulting is a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner as well as a Silverlight^TM Partner, winner of the Microsoft Office XP Challenge, and has Microsoft Partner Competencies in Custom Development, Mobility and Data Management Solutions. The company is an expert in custom software applications such as rich Internet Applications, content management systems, e-commerce, surveys, social networking sites, data collection and management, browser plug-ins, and mobile application development including iPhone^TM, iPad^TM, BlackBerry®, Android^TM, and Windows® Phone 7. Amadeus Consulting has continued to rank in the prestigious Mercury 100 list of the fastest-growing private companies in Boulder and Broomfield counties since 2007, and has placed on the Inc. 5000 list since 2006.