Pete Blank, Leadership Expert, Author, Motivational Speaker

Presenting: Leadership Strategies for Talent Development for 2023 and Beyond

A successful leader is nothing without an engaged environment in which to lead. While it may not be possible to motivate every employee, leaders can create an organizational culture that leads to an engaging environment.  Pete will share five “magical” solutions that can be implemented to improve both people and performance. 

What does a successful leader look like?  Pete will share six simple, yet essential traits that leaders can emulate every day to improve their people, their product, and their property. 

It has been said that “employee retention is your best talent acquisition strategy,” and this statement should be the foundation of every organization in 2023. Leadership plays a key role in creating a talent development strategy that encourages trust and transparency, allows employees to adopt a growth mindset, and provides continuous opportunity for learning and development.  This workshop will allow leaders from every line of business to enhance their current workplace culture and retain those high performing employees. 

In this full morning session, participants will: 

• Discover the six leadership traits needed in 2023. 
• Examine five process strategies designed to enhance employee performance. 
• Analyze how to create and sustain an organizational culture where employees thrive. 
• Examine the JOBS Model of employee engagement and how it impacts the business. 
• Discover how to provide development opportunities to employees at all levels.
• Create an action plan to implement upon return to the workplace.

Kesha Carter, Chief Diversity Officer for Coordinated Care Services Inc.

Elizabeth Meeker, PsyD., Sr. Director, Center o Excellence for Equity Focused Trauma Responsive Practice, CCSI 

Presenting: "Supporting Staff Wellness and Resilience through Equity Focuses, Trauma Responsive Practices" 

Organizational culture includes awareness of harm that are perpetuated by racism in policies and practices which can impede the ability for employees to navigate day to day functions. Developing a deeper understanding of the intersection of trauma responsive practices, equity, belonging, and antiracism will support staff well-being and retention. 

Understanding common language, and practical applications in approaches at the individual, program, and organizational level is important to implementing and sustaining culture transformation. An integrated trauma responsive and equity-focused approach can improve the experience, overall wellness, and long-term engagement, of the workforce.

Participants will learn:

• At least one specific, practical action that can support and maintain a resilient workforce
• What supervisors and leaders can do to support employees internally and as a result of harmful external work experiences

Nick Ryberg, Vice President, Emerge Optimize 

Presenting: "Dream Teams: Leveraging Talent Optimization to Drive Business Results"

Workers across industries are leaving their jobs at record rates, and it's important for companies to understand why. As pioneers in talent optimization, we recognize the significance of using people data to comprehend employee behavior and increase engagement.

Our presentation will provide a solid foundation for using behavioral analytics to develop a talent strategy that aligns with business strategy. This will empower leaders to assemble the right teams and create environments that motivate employees to achieve measurable business results.

Research conducted suggests that employee disengagement is primarily caused by a lack of fit in their job, manager, team dynamics, and overall culture. Understanding these behavioral drivers is critical to developing a talent strategy that enhances employee engagement and retention.

We will explore how each area of employee engagement can be supported by leveraging behavioral data:

• Company culture: By collecting and analyzing people data, businesses can gain valuable insights that uncover the root of their challenges. These insights can then be used to make strategic changes that improve performance throughout the organization.
• Job fit: Hiring the right people is essential for organizational success. Defining the roles an organization needs and matching the right person to the requirements increases the likelihood of success.
• Manager fit: When leaders understand their employees, and employees understand each other, they can reduce conflict, minimize organizational toxicity, and communicate effectively. This removes distractions that often get in the way of results.
• Team dynamics: Randomly assembling a team and hoping for the best is not a reliable business strategy. To achieve optimal outcomes, an organization must use people data to intentionally design its approach to leadership, culture, and team dynamics.

Any company can benefit from understanding their employees' behavioral drivers and using that knowledge to identify gaps and strengths. By doing so, companies can create a work environment that values employees' perspectives and motivates them to stay engaged, helping to "turn the tide" of disengagement.

After the presentation, attendees will know how to identify forces of employee disengagement and how to leverage behavioral analytics to develop a talent strategy that addresses these issues. They will also understand the benefits of intentionally designing a work environment that values employees' perspectives and increases engagement.

Rev. Dr. Marlowe Washington, EdD

Senior Diversity Officer, St. John Fisher University

Presenting: "Creating an Inclusive Workplace: Harnessing the Power of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion"

Learn the essential skills to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, equitable and divers. This presentation will discuss the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace and how organizations can benefit from it. I will cover how DEI impacts and organizations culture, key benefits to having DEI in the workplace and how as trainers we can play a critical role in advancing DEI. Learn how to create an inclusive atmosphere for employees, customers, and the local community! Explore the topics of respective differences, promoting open dialogue, creation an environment of empowerment, and realizing increased productivity and financial performance through DEI. Join me for an engaging discussion and gain insights on practical ways to ensure an equitable, welcoming and supportive environment for teams both professionally and personally.

Kellie Burns, Director of Global Talent Management and Culture Development at Carestream 

Melody Warner, Internal Communications Manager at Carestream 

Presenting: “No Budget? No Problem! Starting the Journey of Culture Transformation with Limited Resources”

When our organization moved to Microsoft 365, we saw endless opportunities to leverage its tools to significantly advance our culture transformation. Without further investment from the organization we:

• Created a connected global community for employees.
• Shared dynamic content that made our global teams feel seen.
• Supported our leadership development programs.
• Brought recognition to the forefront of our organization.

Topics will touch on community building with appropriate professional boundaries, authenticity to your employer brand, and global diversity, with real examples and demonstrations to get started immediately. 

Caitlin Drago, President, Inspire Improv and Coaching Inc

Presenting: "Opening the Door to Belonging and Innovation"

It is easy to get caught up in the role of trainer/educator and forget to leave room for belonging, the sense that an employee is not only accepted, but that their talents, passions, experiences, and skills are uniquely valued.  When we make space for the entire person to emerge, we get to pull from the depth of what that person has to offer!  

In this interactive workshop, we will explore how you can encourage and leverage belonging to create innovative and connected teams.

Participants will:

• Explore the improv-based principle of “making each other look good,” and its connection to belonging and innovation. We’ll do so through both improv-based exercises as well as examining supporting research and theories. 
• Apply this concept in real time with fellow participants, making connections and learning how they might encourage and leverage belonging across their community.
• Create their own action plan for implementation once they return to work.