8. Soft Skills Real Impact: The Vertus Approach to Conflict Resolution

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of the Training Impact Podcast, host Jeff Walter sits down with Rubens Tilkian—trial lawyer, master coach, mediator, and founder of Vertus Conflict Solutions. With over 70,000 resolved agreements and more than 550 professionals trained, Rubens brings deep experience and personal insight into one of the most overlooked elements of organizational success: conflict resolution through proactive training.

Rubens begins by reflecting on his legal background in Brazil, where even courtroom victories often left clients emotionally unsatisfied. This disconnect led him to an important realization: true resolution is not about winning a case, but about restoring agency to those involved. That insight became the foundation of Vertus, a Miami-based firm focused on preventing and resolving conflict before it disrupts teams, partnerships, and productivity.

Rubens emphasizes that Vertus is more than a mediation service—it’s a proactive training organization that equips people with the emotional intelligence, communication tools, and self-awareness to manage interpersonal dynamics before they spiral. Whether in franchise systems, family businesses, or corporate teams, Vertus helps organizations identify conflict patterns early and train against them with precision.

A central theme of the episode is the underinvestment in soft skills. Rubens shares that while 93% of employers value communication and emotional intelligence, only 35% invest in related training. The consequences? High turnover, siloed departments, and culture breakdowns. Together, Jeff and Rubens advocate for reframing soft skills as *strategic capabilities*—ones that drive retention, engagement, and business results when given proper attention.

Rubens explains that at the heart of conflict resolution is self-awareness. From personal dissatisfaction to interdepartmental friction, people often carry unspoken assumptions, unprocessed emotions, and unproductive habits. Traditional HR mediation fails because employees rarely feel safe enough to speak truthfully. Vertus offers third-party facilitation in a psychologically secure setting—one where real breakthroughs happen.

Through diagnostics, interviews, and tailored workshops, Vertus helps organizations tackle common pain points like low productivity, misaligned teams, and poor communication. Their training goes beyond theory and into practice, using tools such as the Enneagram and structured behavior feedback to create long-term transformation.

Among the firm’s training offerings:

Turning Conflicts into Opportunities – A foundational course focusing on self-awareness and the root causes of conflict.
Navigating Life Conflicts – Builds on emotional regulation and helps participants develop practical communication skills.
Mastering Negotiation – Prepares professionals for real-world negotiation, whether internal or external.
Rewriting the Script of Your Life – A personal development journey that links emotional insight to career and relationship goals.

Rubens also shares his personal journey of rebuilding Vertus in the U.S. after a successful legal career in Brazil. His story of professional reinvention speaks volumes about the resilience and adaptability his training encourages in others. It’s a message Jeff connects to deeply, reinforcing the core mission of the Training Impact Podcast: to position training—particularly partner and program-level training—as a lever for long-term business success.

The episode ends with a powerful call to action. Conflict shouldn’t be addressed only in crisis. Like safety, ethics, or cybersecurity, conflict resolution should be an ongoing discipline woven into the fabric of the business. Training for it isn’t a luxury—it’s essential infrastructure for human-centered growth.

Whether you're a franchisor, HR leader, executive coach, or team manager, this episode delivers insight into why emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and structured communication aren’t optional—they’re transformative. And Vertus Conflict Solutions offers a compelling model to make that transformation real.

Connect with Rubens Tilkian of Vertus Conflict Solutions
Instagram: @rubenstilkian and @Vertus.usa
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rubenstilkian
Website: https://iVertus.com.br/en/
WhatsApp (786) 913-1033