Here Comes Everyone by The Conference Bard

Giselle Kovary is a pioneer understanding the workplace through the lens of generations and employers globally seek her out for her expertise to help them create better workplaces for people of all ages.

To gain a better understanding of the impact COVID19 is having on different generations Giselle launched a survey, and in doing so also donated over 1000 PPE for health care workers.  Hot off the press, we discuss the preliminary results from this survey and explore how different generations are responding to the challenge of COVID19 with a particular focus on Gen Z

We had this discussion only a short time after the survey results were in - For updates on new findings as Giselle and her team undertake further analysis check out her blog on her site at https://www.ngenperformance.com/blog

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

A couple of weeks ago I asked my LinkedIn network to share what they grieved most as a result of COVID19 intending to take their reflections and create a verse that would capture the full range of their feelings.

You can hear this poem in the previous episode - for this episode Sarah Hines of Starling Minds and Founder of A Meaningful Death joins me to explore what it is that people are grieving and how might we best respond.

We begin talking about change but the conversation quickly moves to the subject of hugs and then belonging,  which Sarah sees as the common thread running through the griefs that were shared.  We talk about touch deficit, haircuts, friends, travel, my on the spot theory about different levels of grief.  Sarah explores how the grief many feel who have lost loved ones during the pandemic gets mixed in with and complicated by regret and we talk about how some grief is more inward looking and about what we have lost whereas other grief is about what we could contribute.

Along the way we talk about liminal time, the importance of rites of passage, the loss of purpose and what we need to do to build a better world.  

Towards the end we briefly look at the death of George Floyd and its aftermath through the lens of grief before ending almost where we began with a few thoughts on hugging.

Reading this I realize this conversation covered a lot of ground.  This means we barely scratched the surface of some issues and didn't get to talk about others.  I like to think this reflects the complexity and importance of the role grief plays right now as we navigate the unknown.

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

No guest on this episode I'm afraid - just me reciting a poem on grief.

A couple of weeks ago I asked my network on LinkedIn to share what it was they grieved most as a result of COVID19.  My intention was to take their answers and combine them into a single verse that would capture the feelings in this moment.

This is that verse - the next episode will be me discussing the poem with grief expert Sarah Hines, a previous guest on the show.  We will continue our earlier conversation focussing on the kinds of grief expressed in the poem.

Thanks to all those who shared their thoughts and contributed to the first ever crowdsourced poem on LinkedIn.  As I note at the end, I plan to follow this up with another crowdsourced poem, this one on our hopes and vision for a post-Covid future

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

Jennifer Moss is a pioneer in the area of happiness at work and applying the principles of positive psychology and brain plasticity in the workplace.

In this conversation we explore the continued importance of happiness as we all navigate the stresses and anxieties of living with the constraints imposed by COVID19.

As well as happiness, Jenn shares her insights into building resiliency, post-traumatic growth, empathy, compassion as well as her latest work on burnout - a topic that is becoming increasingly important as more employers place greater emphasis on workplace mental health.

I can't guarantee this podcast will make you happier but it will provide a ton of practical insight into how we can all better navigate a crisis both individually and as a community.

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

Stephane Grenier knows about crisis having been served in the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan, Rwanda and Bosnia.

Since leaving the military Stephane has continued the work he began there supporting mental health.  Now a well established leader in the field through his advocacy of peer support and the services he provides through his company Mental Health Innovations, he has a unique and valuable perspective on what we are all experiencing due to COVID19.

In this conversation Stephane explains how living through the pandemic in many ways resembles his experiences in conflict zones around the world.  He shares how this impacts mental health, the need to be aware of fatigue and complacency, the essential role of peer support in an environment where clinical mental health resources are scarce and overworked, and explains what true resilience means in these challenging times.

When Stephane speaks about mental health and wellness he does so from the heart.  His compassion for others and passion for offering practical solutions and support are clear throughout this compelling conversation.

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

Among the many things COVID19 has changed is learning.  One thing COVID19 hasn't changed is the human brain.

In this lively conversation Lauren Waldman and I discuss her study of the brain and how to be effective, learning must be based on a thorough understanding of how the brain works. She discusses cognitive load, the folly of multitasking, the need to balance focus and diffusion and how to question our assumptions about learning.

We specifically discuss what this means for learners, learning designers and leaders - emphasizing above all the critical importance of curiosity and the need to account for how our brains work when processing and adapting to change.

Given the length of this podcast I was only able to scratch the surface of Lauren's work.  Luckily she has some webinars planned where she discusses her ideas and their application in more depth.  You can contact her to find out more through her website at https://www.learningpirate.com

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

This episode features a statement from someone we don't want to hear from.  

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

There is currently a lot of discussion about the mental health impact COVID 19 is having on individuals - increased stress, grief, loss of control, rising rates of suicide and depression, problems of addiction, fear, anxiety...The list goes on.

In this conversation we hear about what the impact is at the level of the community.  Having grown up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles that saw sectarian violence fracture the community, Peter McBride has spent decades in mental health services, becoming an acknowledged authority on post conflict mental health.  

Taking mental health impacts of The Troubles and other conflict as a starting point, Peter explores what we might expect to see as the threat of Covid 19 recedes and people emerge from self isolation into face to face interactions at work, for leisure and the day to day business of getting on with life.  This presents a different dimension over and above the individual impact on mental health.

Peter will shortly be leaving Northern Ireland to continue his work in a new role at Keene State College in New Hampshire

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

 This episode features a lively conversation with Rebekah Steele who shares insights from her recent book INDivisible: Radically Rethinking Inclusion For Sustainable Results, co-authored with Alison Maitland.

We discuss why so many D&I initiatives fail to deliver genuine inclusion in organizations, the relationship between inclusion and belonging and why now more than ever a radical approach to D&I based in part on design thinking is needed.  Rebekah also shares the essential link between D&I and sustainability.

As with every episode of this podcast we explore how the guest's ideas apply in the current crisis and how they can contribute to building a better world for all as we move from our current "lockdown" to establish post-Covid norms.

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

Having designed and chaired over 20 change management conferences across North America I've seen and heard some of the continent's top change management experts.  Too many rely too heavily on models and loose sight of the people and the goals of change.  Not Jason.  While applying many of the principles of lean change he remains focussed on what works.  And if ever there was a time to focus on what works rather than change models it's now.

In this episode Jason discusses the importance of the following:

1.Putting Cause and Purpose above Urgency
2. Replacing Communication with Meaning and Dialogue
3. Thinking about Experimentation not Execution
4. Rejecting notions of Resistance - think instead of Response
5. Seeking opportunities for Co-Creation not Buy-In

We also talk about my least favourite change metaphor - "The Burning Platform"

If you're not going through change right now you can safely ignore this episode.  If you are you might want to check it out.

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/