Presentation Topics

• 1. The Art and Science Of Positive Leadership

  Developing effective leadership skills is of paramount concern to organizations today. Countless models exist, which suggest different ways to accomplish this important goal. This leaves leaders wondering how to do the right thing to obtain the desired result.

  Rather than add another model to the mix, The Art and Science of Positive Leadership presents research from the social and organizational sciences demonstrating that positive leadership contributes to significant intangible (e.g. increased employee engagement, improved job satisfaction) and tangible (e.g. higher revenue, etc.) benefits for those who align with these principles. By drawing on classic and cutting edge research, this workshop builds a strong business case that shows how the ‘softer side’ of leadership maximizes individual and collective success.

  This session also shares concrete tips and strategies that individuals can adopt to exemplify positive leadership behaviors. It challenges participants to think about how to leverage the power of “doing what’s right.”

• 2. Maximizing Employee Engagement: An Evidence-based Perspective

  Maximizing employee engagement is a top priority, as the war for talent continues to intensify. A typical Google search on the topic yields anywhere from 2-5 million entries, which leaves the question: Where do you begin?

  This presentation looks at the scientifically supported motivators of human performance and provides ideas and tips that can be applied to the workplace. Whether leading a small team or a large division, participants leave with many valuable ideas to transform their workplace.

• 3. Civility Matters

  As the pace and demands of work increase, plenty of anecdotal and scientific evidence indicates our work environments are becoming increasingly disrespectful. Recent research suggests that these actions exhort tremendous costs on our performance and our well-being.

  This workshop presents a powerful business case for the importance of civility. It also explores why this debilitating form of behavior continues to occur. It concludes with a discussion of practical and evidence-based strategies that can be applied at an individual, team, and organizational level to increase civility and maximize our engagement and success.

• 4. Building Resilience

  The depth and speed of organizational changes combined with the advancement of social media technology make it increasingly difficult to keep up and perform at our best. Not surprisingly, people are searching for tips and strategies for thriving in this environment. At the heart of this quest is resilience; our capacity to bounce back. It is not a trait that people either have or do not have. Fortunately, resilient thinking and behavior can be learned and practiced by anyone.

  This workshop explores the science and practice of resilience. By the end of the presentation, participants learn:

  • The definition of resilience
  • How maximizing our resilience is crucial for thriving in the face of constant change
  • How stress and resilience are related
  • Key factors that affect our level of resilience
  • Evidence-informed strategies to enhance our resilience at an individual, team, and organizational level
• 5. Team-building workshop

  The Art and Science of Successful Teams shares evidence-based practices, which have been shown to maximize individual/team performance. Topics include:

  • How self-awareness allows us to leverage the power of diversity within teams
  • The science of trust
  • Engagement starts with a ‘why’ – The key role of purpose in influencing team success
  • Building empathy and interpersonal understanding
  • Mastering positive team communication

  Disaster Simulation

  The last part of the session involves a team-building exercise where each group is placed in a disaster scenario and needs to figure out what they need to do to survive. It provides a fun, engaging, and challenging opportunity for people to practice the content discussed during the initial part of the day

• 6. Addressing fear of reprisal: How to foster Psychological Safety

  Drawing on the latest research, this presentation focuses on what executives/managers can do to create a safe space that empowers employees to speak up and raise workplace issues without fear of reprisal. This talk summarizes the following points:

  • Define fear of reprisal and talk about its prevalence within our workplaces
  • Raise awareness around the psychological factors that make us fear reprisal
  • Speak to the critical role that executives/managers play when workplace issues are raised, including  the need to take immediate action, walk the talk, modeling accountability, and other general principles of ethical leadership
  • Discuss evidence-informed strategies that leaders can immediately apply within their day-to-day work to foster a psychologically safe environment.

  The above workshop is based on the white paper Craig wrote for the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner (PSIC) entitled The Sound of Silence: Whistleblowing and the Fear of Reprisal.