COMMUNICATIONS AND LEADERSHIP LEARNING

 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2024

Leading with Influence: Communicating Powerfully and Navigating Difficult Conversations 

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

In this riveting session, retired SWAT hostage negotiator, Scott Tillema, draws upon a wealth of real-world experiences to illuminate the transformative power of communication. With a career forged in high-stakes situations, Scott unveils invaluable insights on fostering connection in even the most challenging circumstances. Attendees will leave with actionable takeaways, honing their ability to lead with influence in various scenarios. Scott masterfully shares principles from intense negotiations, delivering a talk that will be impactful upon the Engineers and Geoscientists BC attendees, who will have a new perspective on communication and authentic connection. 

Speakers

Scott Tillema 

Leadership Lessons from Ted Lasso  

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Whether or not you’ve watched the internationally acclaimed TV show Ted Lasso, an American comedy that masterfully weaves in biting British humour, the fictional character, played by Jason Sudeikis, delivers a masterclass in leadership. Show after show, he demonstrates how clarity, consistency and caring leadership changes the game and what it is to be an inspiring, empathetic, and vulnerable leader who builds cohesive teams that deliver results. In this session, leadership coach Catherine Ducharme, draws out timeless leadership lessons from Ted Lasso, that we all need to learn to successfully lead in today’s turbulent and uncertain world. She draws upon her leadership experience to land the lessons and make them actionable. 

Speakers

Catherine Ducharme 

Catherine Ducharme PCC, CLC Founder and Chief Learning Officer of Fluency, a leadership + team development and coaching company, Catherine is a career communicator, entrepreneur, coach and speaker who brings 30+ years of communications and leadership experience in a range of industries including the technology, biotech and health research sectors. Her experience leading large teams, being part of senior leadership teams and running her own company is real, lived and relatable. Catherine is a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation and is a Certified Leadership Coach. In 2021, she was recognized as Regional Leader of the Year by the International Association of Business Communicators.  

Leading Through Turbulence: Actionable People Strategies for Challenging Times  

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

This session will provide steps and actions which leaders can implement to foster resilience within their teams thereby fortifying their organization against challenges ahead and retaining crucial talent essential for long term success. Participants will leave with an understanding of practical (and inexpensive) actions they can take and specific programs or practices which sustain organizations during hard times. 

Speakers

Shawnee Love 

Shawnee Love is an HR, organizational culture, and small business leadership expert known for consulting advising, training, blogging, and speaking. With over 30 years of human resources experience, an abundance of stories, and a gift for connecting dots and distilling to the essence, Shawnee simplifies complexity, makes sense of chaos, and creates practical solutions which deliver results. Since 2009, Shawnee has led LoveHR, an Okanagan based consulting practice specializing in people, culture, and talent management. She is a Certified Management Consultant, a Chartered Professional in Human Resources, an Emotional Intelligence facilitator, and coach, as well as a Certified Psychological Health & Safety Advisor. Continuing her passion for lifelong learning, she completed her Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies relating to Workplace Innovation, Leadership, and Organizational Culture and Change in 2023. Shawnee’s expertise in the skills, systems, processes, tools, culture, and structure which channel an organization’s people resources into a competitive advantage make her a sought-after advisor to owners and leaders of small and medium sized organizations. She has worked across industries and stages from inception through growth, maturity, mergers, and acquisitions, to reinvention and even conclusion. Whether providing training, coaching, and advice or building creative and practical HR solutions and strategies, Shawnee is passionate about enhancing organizations for all who experience them. 

Mastering Negotiation: Engagement Tactics, Influence Strategies, and Cross-Cultural Dynamics

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

This panel will delve into the art of negotiation by exploring engagement tactics, influence strategies, and the complexities of cross-cultural contexts. Experts will share insights on how to build rapport, persuade stakeholders, and navigate cultural differences to achieve successful outcomes. Attendees will learn practical approaches to enhance their negotiation skills, understand the role of cultural nuances in shaping negotiation processes, and gain strategies to adapt their techniques for diverse international settings within Canada and beyond. With Canada’s ever expanding cultural diversity, this discussion aims to equip participants with the tools needed to negotiate effectively and ethically in our globalized national economy. 

Speakers

Joanna Shea 

Joanna has 20+ years of negotiations experience in the natural resource, utilities, infrastructure, health care and education sectors. During that time, she has led over $2B worth of acquisitions, divestments, and contract negotiations. She has project managed and negotiated agreements linked to over $1B in capital projects in both Canada and the United States and held senior leadership roles in commercial negotiations, project management, resource development and organizational restructuring.  Joanna has a BCOM from St. Francis Xavier University, is a graduate of British Petroleum's intensive in-house Conflict and Negotiations training course, holds a Graduate Certificate in Project Leadership from Cornell University, and a Graduate Certificate in Negotiations Mastery from the Harvard School of Business. The Negotiations Collective was founded in 2020, where Joanna is the CEO and Co-Founder. 

Leighton Wilks 

Leighton is an Associate Professor (Teaching) at the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary where he focuses on translating current research into effective negotiation training programs. He has over ten years of experience designing and teaching negotiation courses within Executive MBA, MBA, and undergraduate programs. Leighton’s is a passionate educator; in 2019 he was inducted into the University of Calgary Students' Union Teaching Excellence Hall of Fame and also received a Calgary Award for Community Achievement in Education. Leighton has a significant consulting background in diverse areas including negotiations, strategic planning, and cross-cultural management. Leighton holds an MBA (thesis-based) and a BA in Psychology from the University of Calgary. His MBA thesis looked at cultural differences in the use of ethically questionable negotiation behaviors. 

Capitalizing on Neurological Differences to Engage Women in Engineering  

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

This presentation will offer a science-based approach to thinking about job-design that seeks to maximize the potential of both sexes based on neurology and physiology. Systems of work are responsible for 90-95% of performance (Deming) and a focus on individual strengths (Clifton) are likely to achieve better selection, performance, and retention than generalizing skills based on traditional job designs. This approach to engaging Women in engineering is in contrast to the challenged contemporary social justice movements by respecting individual capacities over group categories. 

Speakers

Dr. Brian Dominguez 

Dr. Brian Dominguez, DSocSci, MAL, CPIM is a Canadian Veteran, designated and certified professional in operations and supply chain management, and specialist in leadership and organizational performance. As a management consultant Brian helps leaders improve their leadership and their organizations through science-based models and perspectives that encourage them to make value-based decisions to maximize their resources. Brian is an avid adventure motorcyclist and has gone on trips for as long as two years covering 16 countries. He blends research on operational and human performance with his travels, which is a great excuse to learn as he goes!  to the private, public and non-governmental sectors in her 30+ year professional career. Inés started her own consulting company, Aldea Global Insights, in June 2023, and joined the Negotiations Collective in August 2023, offering seminars in both English and Spanish.

Team Coaching Fundamentals for Team Leaders

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

A Team is defined by having a shared purpose that cannot be achieved by the members working in parallel. What is the collaboration dividend? As the Team Leader what should be your focus to support Team value creation? In this presentation Coach Siobhann will share with you a framework for supporting the whole team, not only focusing on internal process, effectiveness and mutual accountability but also continuous learning and development and engagement with outside stakeholders. 

Speakers

Siobhann Williamson 

Siobhann Williamson M. Sc., ACC, COC is a certified organizational Coach working in the areas of Performance, Formal and Informal Leadership and Team Coaching. Siobhann sees Coaching as a powerful tool for both professional and personal growth, offering a fresh lens to foster creativity, unconventional thinking and enhanced performance. She brings an authentic, respectful and straightforward approach to all her Coaching partnerships. Siobhann is also a NCCP-certified Cycling Coach, working with Fit for Life and My First Fondo riders. Participation in sport has taught her many things, the greatest of which is the value and the power of the Team.