Lisa X Walden Co-Founder of Good Company Consulting

Based on their upcoming book, The Future is Human: Transforming Work in a Post-Pandemic Era

We are entering a new era of work, one where businesses win when leaders are compassionate, communication is empathetic, and people are prioritized. But that transformation, much like any kind of change, requires a great degree of intention and care. By embracing the workplace lessons learned during the pandemic years there’s an opportunity to design the kind of organization we all want to work in, and a culture we can all be a part of. In this presentation, you’ll learn how to create a healthier, happier, and ultimately more successful workplace culture by putting people first. Steeped in years of research and listening (really listening) to employees at all levels, it will paint the picture of what the future of work can and should look like, and how you can get started with that redesign right away.

Takeaways include:
• An exploration of the three cornerstones of compassionate leadership
• Strategies to take organizational communication from autopilot to intentional and empathetic
• Tactical tools to start transforming your work culture
• Sneak peek into Gen Z and what they want most from employers

Building teams that really work.
Establishing trust at work is no simple matter. People have devoted entire lives trying to pinpoint that special, almost magical alchemy behind cohesive, collaborative, and trusting teams. While every organization is different, and no two teams will be the same, there are some core concepts that can help leaders craft their own cultures of trust. In this presentation, we identify common (and sometimes surprising) barriers and break down the key ingredients required to build strong, truly trusting teams. From consistent messaging to embracing candor, to admitting vulnerabilities and extending grace, The Alchemy of Trust highlights the “why” and demystifies the “how,” all while providing actionable insights that can be implemented the very next day.

Takeaways Include:
• How to establish psychological safety so employees feel confident taking calculated, innovative risks
• Critical, sometimes counterintuitive mindsets that will create buy-in and help bridge gaps across teams
• Case studies from organizations that have figured out how to successfully build trust, be it in-person or in a virtual or hybrid setting   

Strategies to build relationships authentically.
Technology has changed the way we work, in ways both good and bad. With much of our communication shifting from face-to-face to screen-to-screen, building authentic work relationships is harder now than ever before. With study after study citing strong professional relationships as a key factor for engagement, motivation, and work satisfaction, now is the time to acquire the skills to build and maintain connections at work. In this presentation, we identify what’s getting in the way of connecting authentically at work, explore strategies to shape stronger teams, and present best practices from organizations that have discovered the secret sauce to building communities of supportive and interconnected peers.                                           

Takeaways Include:    
• How to remove barriers that prevent meaningful relationships at work
• Using a people-first approach to create a sense of belonging and appreciation
• Overcoming the need to be “perfect,” and instead, learning how to show up as your authentic self 

The workforce is struggling. Struggling to stay motivated, to prioritize tasks and remain productive, and even struggling to find the energy to just show up. With terms like brain fog, languishing, burnout, and pandemic fatigue hovering over our day-to-day, it’s no surprise that engagement is faltering and people feel like they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. But the show must go on! And leaders are scratching their heads trying to figure out how to reinvigorate employees who are overworked and exhausted. The good news? It is actually possible to reclaim some control over how we show up at work, even in the midst of trying times. This presentation offers a path forward by presenting concrete strategies to reclaim control over focus, attention, motivation, and productivity. Through research that validates why you’re feeling the way you are and tools that can help you break through the fog, this presentation answers the question, “how can I feel motivated again?”

Takeaways include: 
• Tactics to eliminate distractions and find your focus
• Tools to prioritize your workload and maximize efficiency 
• Ideas to reignite your energy and help you stay motivated and on track
• Mindset shifts around how to do your best at work while being mindful of well-being

We are boldly striding into a brave new world of work. As organizations, leaders, and employees try to reconcile what it means to “return to the office,” so many questions are being asked about what this next normal should look like. Do we start from scratch? Do we go back to the way things were? Do we tackle the challenges of hybrid work? With all these questions comes all the anxiety. And while it might be tempting to return to what was familiar and comfortable before, we need to take recent lessons to heart and courageously create a work environment that serves both the organization and the humans doing the work. A workplace reimagined is one that leads with a people-first approach, proactively creates a burnout-free but productive culture, and embraces flexible policies without sacrificing the connection and collaboration of in-person work. It might feel daunting, but it is doable—and this presentation shows you how. 

Takeaways:
• Framework to shift your mindset and reimagine the future of work
• The Do’s and Don’ts of returning to work 
• Fresh insights on how to prevent and manage stress during change
• Techniques to spot hybrid work hazards before they happen
• Practical strategies to redesign how you motivate, engage, and lead 

2020 and its aftermath have turned our world upside down. There is no part of our lives that has been left unchanged, and work is no exception. As we get to our “next normal” and explore what it means to create exceptional hybrid work environments, we can’t just assume that previous practices will produce similar results. With very real issues emerging—think virtual meeting fatigue, lingering pandemic burnout, lack of motivation, rising feelings of disconnection and isolation—it’s time to rethink how we approach company culture. From bringing intentionality to our communication to fostering a sense of belonging, to reimagining camaraderie and community when we’re not gathered in one physical space and place, this presentation examines what we need in order to create an awesome, energized work environment, no matter where people are working from.

Takeaways Include:
• A better understanding of the shifts needed for a truly dynamic hybrid workplace
• Practical strategies to redesign how you communicate, connect, and collaborate
• Best practices from organizations with proven awesome virtual and hybrid workplaces     

We’re squarely into year three of the pandemic, and the prevailing feeling seems to be exhaustion, if not downright apathy. The Great Resignation, that sense of languishing, and the never-ending news cycle have caused many to move beyond pandemic fatigue and into a something almost resembling apathy. Even though we’re all very much over these “unprecedented times” and craving some more “precedented” living, the world still spins, lives still need to be led, and work still needs to get done. But there is hope! As our collective mettle continues to be tested, there are some subtle shifts in habits and mindsets that can help us navigate our current work world. In this presentation, Lisa shows the value of a “think small” mindset—one prioritizes daily habits and presence in your day-today-day. These shifts, while small, can be the difference between a frenetic, bordering-burnout lifestyle, and one where calm, intentionality, and focus reign supreme.

Takeaways include:

• Spotlight on the key factors causing overwhelm and burnout
• Strategies to help craft meaningful habits that really stick
• A look at the best habits to set boundaries and regain focus in a hybrid work environment

“How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.” Annie Dillard’s wise words have as much relevance today as when she first penned them. Perhaps even more so. Because whereas before, our homes were an oasis from the constant pressures of our jobs, nowadays technology and hybrid work have made professional stress almost inescapable. With work bleeding into every aspect of the day, employees are at risk of overwork, overall well-being takes a massive hit, and burnout starts to rear its ugly head. But there is hope! As we acclimate to the new world of work, there are subtle shifts in habits and mindsets that can help us navigate our new reality. In this presentation, Lisa shows the value of a “think small” mindset—one that prioritizes habit building and true presence in the day-today-day. These shifts, while small, can be the difference between a frenetic, bordering-burnout lifestyle, and one where calm, intentionality, and focus reign supreme.

Takeaways include:

• Spotlight on the key factors causing overwhelm and burnout
• Strategies to help craft meaningful habits that really stick
• A look at the best habits to set boundaries and regain focus in a hybrid work environment

It’s a story often told: a new generation enters the workplace and every other generation grapples with how to understand and connect with the unknown factor on their teams. For the past fifteen years, this tale has focused on the over-researched Millennials, and while some might prefer to unsubscribe from the generational conversation (especially Millennials themselves), Generation Z’s presence is cause for a reboot. Because much to everyone’s surprise, they are proving to behave, communicate, and engage in stark contrast to their predecessors. Who’s feeling that pain the most? Millennials. From how each generation was raised, to how they collaborate, what they expect for work-life balance, and how they prefer manager-managee relationships… the potential for conflict is high. This presentation makes sense of the change so everyone can work together seamlessly as their most authentic selves.

Takeaways:
• The truth about how similar Gen Z and Millennials are (or aren’t)
• Tools for Millennial managers to engage Gen Z
• Communication tactics for Gen Z to manage their Millennial managers
• Analysis of the latest generational trends impacting the workplace