We may not be paramedics or police officers, but many of us have dealt with the stress of caring for others, faced dwindling resources, and struggled with work/life balance in our work. Resilience is not a given. It’s not an innate character trait: it’s something we learn and cultivate through strategic action. Many professionals and leaders miss a realistic understanding of the demands they face and attention to what’s coming. When the demands grow – in size and complexity – we can’t just put our heads down and work harder, or even smarter. In this interactive workshop, Jennifer will go beyond the usual suggestions of self-care strategies to provide research-based tools and resources to support your work.

This session can be expanded or contracted to suit your schedule, from a 1-hour webinar to a half-day workshop.

Physical distance is not the death knell to effectively collaborating and forming strong relationships. In fact, we can all think of examples of co-located teams that struggle with productivity and morale. Jennifer lead a virtual non-profit in a service industry for nearly 20 years, across multiple time zones, from coast to coast. Long before the pandemic, her organization was exploring the pitfalls and benefits of virtual work. Join her to learn about how to build (and keep!) great teams in a virtual environment, what tools to consider using (other than zoom), and how to get away from the office when the office is in your bedroom. 

“Being a good person means trying to be better, rather than believing in the illusion that you are always a good person.” – Dolly Chugh

What is implicit bias, and how does it show up in our lives? How should we respond when we observe bias, either overt or unconscious, in others? What are you doing with your families, colleagues, and students to confront bias and discrimination? In this workshop, participants will learn the answers to these questions and reflect on their personal blind spots. They will be encouraged to embrace “willful awareness,” working toward becoming the person they mean to be. 

There’s a lot of talk about coaching as a means to support employee development, empowering them to resolve issues, achieve their goals, and grow. But are you confident that you know the difference between coaching, asking questions, and mentoring? Are you actually using a “coach approach” to steer people toward an answer that is already clear to you? In this workshop, Jennifer will challenge you to go beyond your usuall problem-solving instincts and well-meaning advice to truly coach your team. The result? Their insights and commitments to change will be more powerful and last longer than anything you could have taught them .

Many people seek to avoid the discomfort that conflict brings, yet the path to restoring harmony lies in confronting the issue head-on. With the right guidance and support, conflict has the potential to deepen connections, foster compassion, and cultivate empathy. Jennifer will outline six key steps for conducting a “learning conversation,” informed by the work of the Harvard Negotiation Project, Stephen Covey, Amanda Ripley, Brené Brown, and others. Through this session, participants will leave with a renewed ability to transform difficult conversations into opportunities for connection, collaboration, and growth.

Mistakes are inevitable—but how we respond to them makes all the difference. In this reflective and practical workshop, participants will explore different types of failure and why they matter in relationships and learning. We’ll unpack the emotional reactions that often accompany mistakes, from shame to defensiveness, and examine what makes repair possible. Participants will learn the four key factors that influence our ability to offer second chances, and practice a simple, effective structure for making a meaningful apology. The session provides tools for accountability, repair, and growth after things don’t go as planned.