COMMUNICATIONS AND LEADERSHIP LEARNING

 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2024

Understanding People - Unlocking Your Path to Professional Success  

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

In the professional world, it's not just about technical expertise — it's about connecting with people. The success of any organization, a project or your career, hinges on the collaboration and communication among diverse personalities. But how do we navigate these differences effectively? During this fun, interactive and informative presentation we will share how knowing more about yourself and others can create more meaningful interactions in both your personal and professional life. Join us for this opportunity to better understand yourself and to enhance your communication skills. 

Speakers

Andrew Cooper, P.Eng. 

Kim Cooper 

The Stress-Test - Strategies to Move from Stress to Success  

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Long hours, large workloads and lack of time are part of today's workplace reality but that doesn't mean you should let it affect your quality of life. Explore the impact stress has on the body, how we create needless stress for ourselves, and what you can do to move from stress to success. Research overwhelmingly shows that stress-related absences cost employers across North America more than $300 billion each year. To make matters worse, chronic stress is linked to the six leading causes of death, and more than 75% of all physician office visits begin with stress-related ailments and complaints. Without intervention stress quickly piles up to burnout, soaring corporate costs and dead ends. But it doesn’t have to be this way… Let Health and Productivity Expert Michelle Cederberg illuminate obvious choices (and simple steps) that every company, employee, and individual can adopt to help reverse this costly trend. Most of us don’t have any control over the chaotic, intense, and demanding aspects of our jobs, but we can learn how to recognize and alleviate the physiological (and professional) impacts of stress to notably reduce the cost of sick-leave, talent-loss, and low engagement. Side effects include greater employee morale, corporate confidence, and long-term personal wellbeing. 

Speakers

Michelle Cederberg 

For over 20 years, Health and Productivity Expert Michelle Cederberg has captivated audiences across North America with her empowering and humorous messages that help busy, driven professionals eliminate burnout, increase engagement, and ignite high performance. As an in-demand speaker, author, coach, and consultant, she believes that success is directly influenced by how well we harness the physical, mental, and emotional capacity we each have within us, and enthusiastically calls on science to energize teams for the future of work. Michelle holds a Masters in Kinesiology, a BA in Psychology, is a Certified Exercise Physiologist and a High-Performance Coach, and a 2023 inductee into the prestigious Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame. 

Transition Leadership - Engineering Leadership for a Changing Climate  

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

As the climate changes, engineers and geoscientists are challenged to approach their work through new lenses, including both the technical and non-technical side of climate leadership. Equipped with the tools to collect and interpret data, and the skills to design, build, and maintain infrastructures, engineers and geoscientists are uniquely equipped to lead the transition to a more sustainable future. However, the manner and approaches used to engage our teams, organizations, and other stakeholders are not often taught in our university programs. ASI will present a model of Transition Leadership competencies which support the transition toward a low-carbon, socially-inclusive future. 

Speakers

Tamara Connell 

Tamara Connell, CEO at the Academy for Sustainable Innovation (ASI), brings 20+ years of adult learning and facilitation experience. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Planning and Master’s Degree in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability. Tamara’s previous roles include Program Director in the internationally-acclaimed Master’s of Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability program at BTH in Sweden, Director of Sustainability Learning Programs at The Natural Step Canada, and Associate Director of Education & Training at RADIUS SFU. She has also run her own successful consulting company for the past 10+ years, focused on facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning. 

Fostering Innovation in Your Organization  

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Many believe innovation is for geniuses and visionaries; however, this session introduces leaders to the practices and skills which will foster innovation in their organizations. Attend this session to learn a model for embedding and enhancing innovation at work and identify practices which enhance innovativeness and skills required. 

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. 

Leading High Performing Teams 

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

What is the secret sauce that makes some teams so… exceptional? What do you need to know to harness a team that does remarkable work? Even Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen. Most work requires some amount of team collaboration, but not all teams are created equal. Not only that, the work of managing a poorly structured or dysfunctional team can take more time out of your day than the work itself. How do you create a team that demonstrates exceptional collaboration and regularly achieves outstanding results that regularly surpass expectations?  In this training, we will focus on strategies for building and leading high-performing teams in various organizational contexts. We explore key principles, best practices, and practical techniques for fostering collaboration, maximizing productivity, and achieving outstanding results. Not just once: consistently and sustainably. 

Speakers

Andrea Spiegel 

Andrea is a seasoned management consultant with over 15 years of leadership experience across various industries, including entertainment, professional services, trades, and facilities. She specializes in helping small- to medium-sized businesses set long-term goals, pinpoint gaps in their current systems, and develop practical strategies for sustainable growth. Andrea empowers leaders to boost team performance and satisfaction, ultimately driving better outcomes. Her passion lies in balancing efficient processes with fulfilling team needs. Andrea's training sessions equip attendees with tools they can apply immediately, ensuring lasting results. 

AI-Proof Your Career - Understanding and Using Systems Thinking  

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Professionals of all disciplines are feeling the pressure to add value to their roles in the face of the increase use of Artificial Intelligence. Fear no more! A time-tested but not very well known tool in our toolbox is making a strong comeback: systems thinking. This presentation will recap the basics of systems thinking and it will create a context of value in areas like sustainability, complexity, and agility. 

Speakers

Ivan Rincon, P.Eng. 

Ivan Rincon, P.Eng. is a professional with 33 years of experience. He holds an electronics engineering degree with post-graduate master’s in business administration and Project Management. He holds credentials as PMP, PgMP, PMI-RMP, Scrum Master, and CISA. He moved from Colombia to Canada in 2004 after working in big multinational companies like Telefonica, IBM, and HP. Landing in British Columbia, he worked in several capacities in Amazon, HP Advanced Solutions, BC Ferries, and Ocean Networks Canada. He is currently Executive Director, Project Management with the BC Government. He is responsible for Emergency Management and Public Safety Communications initiatives in support of several provincial ministries.