Kara Johnston

Higher rates of absenteeism, burnout and turnover are forcing organizations to recognize that they must play a key role in supporting their staff’s emotional and mental wellbeing. This topic acknowledges that we are living through challenging times and that climate change is having an impact on mental health and workplace behaviours. To completely suppress our deep feelings about our world while at work would be to miss a powerful opportunity: the physical or virtual workplace is an ideal place to build individual and organizational resilience, in addition to promoting creative, breakthrough solutions for all.

This session will help you to:

• strengthen courage for individual and organizational resilience;
• appreciate the growing impact of eco-anxiety in the workplace;
• practice a simple yet powerful guided process that helps people move through stuckness, despair, or resignation into strengthening their ability to bring about positive change.

Psychological safety is foundational to high performing teams and resilient organizations. A sense of psychological safety allows employees to voice their ideas, seek assistance, and even challenge leadership without fear of judgement from peers or senior management. Employees in workplaces with high psychological safety feel more engaged and are more likely to innovate. This atmosphere of openness and honesty has proven to promote appreciation for the contributions of others, greater inclusion for all, and importantly, reduce errors.

There is no exact recipe for psychological safety at work; it emerges out of the relationships within groups. However, certain behaviours and skills have proven to be key ingredients. Let’s take some time today to reflect on the role each of you can play in cultivating psychological safety in your workplace.

This session invites you to:

• Deepen your understanding of the concept of psychological safety;
• Reflect on the crucial role of psychological safety for team effectiveness;
• Explore your unique contribution to fostering psychological safety in the workplace.

The modern work landscape has shifted dramatically rendering the “traditional career” trajectory a thing of the past. You must take your career development into your own hands. Strengthening the skills and talents which are in service of your priorities can give you career flexibility, increase your employability, and keep you motivated despite unexpected obstacles.

When you take a proactive yet adaptive approach to your long-term career, you are more likely to rise to the occasion when opportunities occur. This topic asks you to take some time out of your busy workday to clarify some potential paths forward, while benefitting from the wisdom of your colleagues. The goal is insight: learning something new about yourself and opening up your sense of possibility.

In this session you will:

• reflect on your strengths, interests, and career priorities;
• determine potential development opportunities;
• hear ideas from your colleagues as to how you might integrate these into your life.

Your “personal brand” is more than just a polished pitch. It’s the felt sense of who you are, what you care about, and how you show up for your work and relationships. This session invites you to reflect more deeply: What do you stand for? What are you known for? And how aligned is your impact with your intentions?

This discussion will offer space to explore your identity, integrity, and impact at work—so that how you’re perceived reflects not just your ambitions but your authenticity. Through thoughtful reflection and peer exchange, you’ll consider how your stories, your relationships, and your purpose can intentionally shape your unique person brand offering.

In this session you will:

• Identify areas where you can bring greater intentionality to how your personal brand reflects your values and priorities;
• Consider how you are currently building and leveraging a network to support your goals;
• Craft a personal brand statement that resonates meaningfully for both you and your clients.