Whether you currently hold a leadership role or aspire to lead from right where you are, you will leave this session inspired and armed with easy-to-implement tools for leading, influencing, and inspiring others, on a daily basis.

The research is clear that people with higher levels of Emotional Intelligence enjoy greater success and satisfaction at work, at home, and in their relationships. During this practical, engaging program, Brenda will introduce insights from some of the latest Emotional Intelligence research, including a unique Harvard Speed Dating Study, and a German university's study of selfies (yes, selfies!). The studies are a bit quirky, but the insights are truly helpful for anyone seeking to grow personally and professionally.

Please note: Brenda also has a 4-part, fascinating Emotional Intelligence series that she recently developed and presented virtually for an Iowa professional association's membership. Please ask about it, if it might be of interest; the feedback was extremely positive!

This engaging and upbeat session will start with a basic definition—and several synonyms—of tact: Finesse, Thoughtfulness, Common Sense, Subtlety, Good Manners. We’ll then work into several strategies for being more tactful in everyday interactions, including twenty-five words and phrases to avoid, and several common workplace communications, along with ‘less’ and ‘more’ tactful wording. Finally, we will discuss several user-friendly strategies for communicating tactfully and effectively…when the conversation is tense.

You will learn several user-friendly tools for facing the most stressful of times with a calm assurance that says, “This is not my first rodeo; I’ve been through difficult times before. I can face whatever is thrown my way with wisdom, creativity, common sense, and quiet confidence.”

This engaging session will explore insights and trends related to this newest group of employees entering our workplaces. We will identify what is unique about Generation Z in their strengths, experiences, and preferences, and discuss how our organizations might best attract, engage, and retain these young workers. 

This fun, interactive program is designed to increase understanding of, and respect for, the different perspectives that each generation might bring to the workplace, based upon their shared life experiences. Brenda will start by defining the age ranges of each generation, then she will share what current research has to say about each generation…including the flattering and not-so-flattering characteristics! As well, each generation will get an opportunity to collaborate and share their unique viewpoints during the program. Please join us for this energy-packed, highly engaging program, and leave with insights to enhance mutual respect and maximize your 5G team’s potential.

Join us in identifying your own, natural style of responding to conflict and in learning what to say—and not to say—to keep difficult conversations calm and productive. Attendees will leave armed with practical, take-home strategies for ‘fighting fair’ and experiencing the power that comes with approaching conflicts in ways that are considerate of both people and results.

We’ll discuss how to combat common workplace energy-drains such as pot-stirring, gossiping, and chronic negativity. And who knows? Frosting tasting might even be part of the session! Please join Brenda for this energizing, enjoyable, and educational session.

This program is designed to heighten awareness of what comprises excellent customer service in all aspects of your job—from daily interactions with customers, to phone etiquette, to how to respond if a customer complains. We’ll start by introducing the ‘meat and potatoes’ of great customer service, including top criteria that customers use to evaluate service effectiveness, then work into a step-by-step framework for calming and retaining dissatisfied customers. No matter how good a company is at serving customers, there is always room for improvement. You will leave armed with practical, take-home strategies for making your organization’s reputation for customer service the best it can be.

Many organizations have put a great deal of emphasis on training employees to provide exceptional service to their external customers, while neglecting to put any emphasis on internal customer service. Participants in this engaging, interactive session will first identify the make-up of their internal clientele and why providing superior service to these clients is critical to their organizational success. The bulk of the program will then be spent on learning practical, take-home strategies for understanding, and serving with exceptional care, the needs of their internal clientele.

In this engaging, interactive session, we will explore simple strategies for increasing your effectiveness as a communicator, particularly at work. We’ll cover key areas including consideration of your listeners’ perspective; active listening skills; deductive vs. inductive communication; nonverbal communication; and when to use different modes of communication (e.g., email vs. phone). These strategies can be immediately implemented to make you more skillful and effective when you communicate.

This engaging and practical session will help you become more effective at reading others’ body language…and better understand what you might be saying through your own! We’ll cover several aspects of nonverbal communication, including hand/arm gestures, positions when seated or standing, facial expressions, and hand-shake positions. You’ll learn how to establish a base line for interpreting others’ body language and how to decode universal nonverbal behaviors. Throughout the session, we will incorporate real-life workplace applications, so participants will leave with information that is not only fascinating, but also helpful in successfully working with others.

This engaging, interactive session will provide practical, take-home strategies for approaching change in ways that lead to successful outcomes. We’ll discuss common stages that individuals and organizations go through when facing change, including how to overcome specific obstacles such as fear of the unknown and conflicts with others going through the change process with you. Reluctance to change is a normal human emotion but learning skills for confidently navigating change sets you up for a bright future…personally and professionally. 

This practical, user-friendly session is about maximizing the time you have in a day. Topics to be covered include maximizing efficiency, identifying key result areas, prioritizing, avoiding procrastination, creating effective to-do lists, delegating, and setting aside time to complete projects that require greater focus and concentration. We will close the session by taking the Life Balance Quiz and identifying ways to avoid burnout and achieve a healthy, energetic work/life balance.

 As a business owner, wife of 25+ years, and mother of three young adult sons, Brenda Clark Hamilton constantly lives the challenges of creating a healthy balance between responsibilities at work and home. In this engaging session, Brenda will share lessons she’s learned, along with insights from leading voices in the fields of time management and life balance. Participants will take The Life Balance Quiz and learn practical, take-home strategies for prioritizing, maximizing efficiency, delegating, and determining when to say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’

This engaging, practical program will focus on strategies for regaining your spark of energy and enthusiasm through regularly tending to your own self-care. Brenda will instruct on what self-care is and why it is essential for your resiliency, then provide user-friendly strategies and self-awareness activities to help participants identify what they personally need to be at their best. Participants will leave with the knowledge, inspiration, and tools for making healthy self-care choices on a daily basis.