If you know deep down that your experience of work could be so much better, then let’s see how to make that happen!
My Story
I have great memories of one of my first jobs as a teenager, working as a lifeguard at an outdoor pool in Alberta. What was so great about this job, aside from being outside all day was how much fun it was to go to work! We were a bunch of responsible kids who became great friends, looked out for each other, had a great time on and off work, and basically had the autonomy to create a fabulous place to work! I didn’t know at age 16 how rare this was.
The Aha Moment
A few degrees and workplaces down the road, I found myself in a completely different work situation. It was a place with no visible people-leadership, 50% turnover every year (which no one saw as a problem), and a few toxic handlers (employees who took on being a ‘shoulder’ for those who were having issues), and I started thinking, “there has to be a better way!”
This was a teaching moment…
It was ironic that I came into this position after having completed a Master’s degree focusing on workplace health promotion! This was a teaching moment…a real-life example of just how bad it can be, and a great opportunity for someone fresh out of university and full of ideas about healthier workplaces to understand the complexities of organizational life and get a taste for dysfunction and toxicity from the inside out. In hindsight this was a gift, although I didn’t see it that way at the time!
Transforming Workplace Culture
It took a few years, and another bad work experience before I came up with the concept of the Health Work & Wellness™ Conference (now called The Better Workplace Conference). I found myself attending conferences in the US on creating healthier, more positive workplaces, as there was no annual event in Canada to attend. I created many new buddies across the border that did the kind of work that I do here, and one of them asked me, ‘What conferences are there in Canada on organizational health?’
What came from that conversation entirely changed my life for almost two decades, and led to developing and successfully leading Canada’s premiere conference on workplace health for the next seventeen years. This powerful initiative attracted a community of like-minded individuals and created a whole generation of workplace health professionals.
The Next Chapter
One of the high points for me of leading this event was getting to know hundreds of brilliant thought-leaders who are making great strides in improving workplaces across the country and around the world. I have the unique experience of being only one of two people who have participated in every one of the first 18 of these conferences in Canada.
I’ve distilled the knowledge and best advice from these researchers and business leaders on what we know to date on shifting workplace culture, how it benefits the organization and the individuals who work there, and how it will enhance any other strategy or program that is developed. This, combined with my own leadership experience and success in community engagement, is the material of my speaking, consulting, coaching and book.
If you are a forward-thinking leader who understands that shifting to a more positive learning culture will attract and retain the employees and the customers you want, I’d love to work with you!
I bring with me a wealth of evidence-based tools that can begin a positive culture shift in your organization. I can help you and your team create and execute your vision for a better workplace full of possibilities and potential.
I work from a transformational leadership perspective using a vision-focus versus a problem-solving approach, with the understanding that it is the culture that has to shift before any meaningful change can occur. Simply, you cannot create wellness in a toxic culture.
If you know down deep, like I did, that your workplace could be a better place to work, then let’s partner and make a difference!
Let’s Work Together