Motivational Talks that Matter!
Motivational speaking that’s on-point, relevant, engaging, that brings common sense principles
in psychology, religion and organizational development to the workplace, ideas you can use long
after the event is over.
Public speaking that takes solid psychology and organiza-tional learning information and translates it into the needs of your company or church.
Here’s a list of talks recently given, programs developed or areas of interest I would like to discuss with you that could provide a different window into how you see the world.
“Safeguarding Marriage: Approaches that Work!”
Researched information built on the study of over 700 observed couples over 15 years about what
couples can do to love more effectively and solve problems such as conflict and communication.
“The Five Languages of Love”
If you could speak fluent Norwegian and your partner speaks only Spanish you could communicate
… but very little. It is the same with how we express love to our spouse (children or grandchildren).
We may be speaking eloquently but in a language they don’t understand.
“The Pessimistic Style: More Accurate, Less Successful”
Studies have demonstrated that optimists have a quicker turn around time when they fail, more resiliency,
greater success, a more determined response to challenges. What’s true for individuals is also true for
organ-izations. Having an optimistic explanatory style isn’t about ‘thinking happy thoughts’ but a way
to construct reality that’s different than the pessimist who is generally more accurate but less successful.
“Order Amidst Chaos”
A wave breaks upon the beach and that tells you everything about what scientists have come to refer to as
‘chaos theory’. No one would suspect that in the slurry of water tumbling ashore there is inherent order
yet come back the next day and sand ridges appear. People rarely look at the chaotic behavior of others as
organized for some purpose that is consistent with what they think or want. Organizations too have basic
principles one can discern from within the whitewater of their activity.
“Without Rules There Are No Violations”
Without public agreement and commitment, organizational integrity is private and personal. Even more important,
there is nothing to appeal to when things go wrong. Everything is my or your opinion. A better alternative?
Taking the time to establish rules for how we will engage and conduct ourselves so the world sees what we
experience internally.
“Sabotaging Our Own Best Intentions”
Why is it people can’t keep New Year’s resolutions? Why do we falter when we have our own best interests at
heart? Why isn’t willpower enough? Homeostatic tendencies are the gravitational pull holding us back and for
everything we want to do there are always conflicting beliefs in our thinking holding us back. Organizations
(that are really just a collection of individuals) do the same thing. Discover how you can identify what the
resistance to change is and what you can do to break through old and stubborn tendencies.
“When An Affair Hits Too Close To Home”
Something people don’t want to discuss and, as a result, couples never take a pro-active approach to creating an
agreement for a time when the potential for an affair can take root. Know when you are vulnerable, what to do
to keep strong feelings contained, what couples can do to heal once an affair has been discovered.
“Managing Conflict: What Counts … and What Doesn’t”
As a marriage therapist, every day I see people working hard to solve problems, with very little results. People
shut down. People argue. People get angry. Over time, people get frustrated. New learning about how people
react to stress and how it inhibits problem-solving.
“A Failure of Leadership in the Face of Chronic Anxiety”
On of the most daunting facets of chronic organizational anxiousness is that it can deprive leaders of necessary
skills at the very time they need them most. Like the wind sweeping away body heat from a hypothermic victim,
too much discouragement, reactivity, lack of the system’s willingness (or ability) to adapt, unregulated behavior
within an organization can reduce a leader to a person just coping or trying to survive. This numbness can be
transmitted either up or down the organizational chain and is one reason why response time and needed solutions
can be precariously delayed.
“On the Margin Between Life and Death”
Businesses can learn a lot from the lives of explorers and adventurers who push their limits. Did you know summiting
is less dangerous than coming down the mountain? That ‘roping up’ can be an organized suicide pact? That people
can quite rationally organize their contingencies in ways that prepare their group for eventual disaster? See the
working dynamics of your organization through a different paradigm that will motivate discussion and company
self-reflection.
I also conduct training in assertiveness, emotional intelligence, team learning and working with leadership teams to identify and learn from the mental models they use everyday.
