Monica Parker

The New Abnormal: Leading in a strange global landscape

These are indeed strange times and there is risk in calling it the ‘new normal.’ Loss of community, loss of personal freedom, loss of life should never be normalized. But given the new landscape, how do we lead? In this topical presentation that pulls from psychology, neuroscience, and sociology, Monica Parker shares her insights from consulting with global blue-chip clients and illustrates those elements of leadership that need to change to manage in the crisis, and those elements that remain and have become more important than ever.

Audience takeaways:

• Learn what this means for the future of work and why managers will not be able to return to the old
ways even if they want to.
• Practical research on the role of trust, purpose, psychological safety and neuroplasticity play in this
unprecedented time.

Back to Basics: Our basic human needs and why we should focus on them now

Our world has been turned upside-down. Assumptions about how and where we work, what we can expect from our government, and how we are connected to each other have raised new questions about our place in the world and what the new normal – if there ever is a new normal again – will be. With so much change, what actually stays the same? Based on academic research and an accompanying whitepaper, Monica Parker will take participants through a fascinating journey of humanity’s basic human needs, what we need to flourish, and how business leaders, communities, and workplaces can enhance these in the future – whatever the future may hold.

Audience takeaways:

• Learn the science behind our basic human needs, and why humans will always seek these, regardless of disruption
• Actionable advice on how to weave basic human needs into your workplace, leadership style, and hiring practices

Sticky: How to build (and rebuild) collaboration and engagement in a time of large-scale remote work

Since the 1970s, Management by Walking Around (MBWA) has been seen as a primary mechanism for connecting with teams. But how do you ‘walk around’ a virtual team? And how do you keep a sense of connectedness and organizational culture when people aren’t co-located.

Now that people will be working remotely, in some form or fashion, for the foreseeable future, its time for leaders to move beyond the technical aspects of remote work to the cultural. In this energetic presentation, Monica Parker guides participants through ways to build and reinforce collaboration, engagement, and culture in a time of remote working.

Audience takeaways:

• Learn how remote working impacts team cohesion, how your leadership style needs to shift, and a single most important thing you should be looking for and encouraging in your business today
•  Practical tools to virtually connect and collaborate in a more effective way and reinforce culture in remote teams

Duality in Disruption: Finding the positive in the most difficult times, and why it’s important we do

Our brains are hardwired to resist disruption. We seek consistency because it soothes us and makes it easier for our brains to process information. But what happens when massive change is out of our control? Our brains immediately notice the dangers and differences in order to keep us safe, and this creates anxiety and low performance. There is a way to hack this feature of our minds, however, and find a more positive and effective way through disruption. In this scientifically grounded and yet inspiring session, Monica Parker illustrates the way our brain manages change and how we can shift our mental gears to a new way of thinking that harnesses, rather than resists disruption.

Audience takeaways:

• Learn about our brains on change, how to ramp up neuroplasticity for better resiliency and how to reframe the negative aspects of existential change
• Brain hacks to start using today to better manage disruption and actually take advantage of the opportunities inherent in change

The Soft Revolution: Upskilling Our Humanity in an Age of AI

AI and automation are changing the world and fundamentally shaping the future for work.  Where does that leave the humans? In this keynote, Monica explains how to shift the discussion away from hard skills to soft skills. 

• Explore science and the soul of the very things that make us human. 
• Learn how to embrace and develop your soft skills. 

Changing Work, Changing Workplaces: How the Future of Work Affects us All

The future isn’t fixed and the rate of change means we must become more adaptable and resilient than ever. In this dynamic talk, change strategist Monica Parker explains how to prepare for the future. 

• Learn how to remain relevant and competitive. 
• Learn the key elements of creating a compelling workplace culture of the future.

Your Brain on Change: The Keys to Unlocking its Resiliency Potential

Climate change. Regime change. Social change. All change. The world today is changing with inspiring and terrifying rapidity. In this keynote, Monica takes her audience through the emerging science of change to better understand how to manage and manifest our maximum change capacity. 

• Understand how advances in neuroscience are allowing us to better understand the biology and psychology behind change resistance 
• Learn new and effective ways to rewire your brain for greater resiliency.

From ROI to ROE: Return on Experience

Businesses understand the need for a clear ROI, or return on investment, but what about the less measurable but no less important experiential factors of a business culture? 

• Learn how to measure any important factors of your business culture. 
• Learn how engagement, emotion and experience make cultures compelling.

Hey I’m Human: The Psychological Drivers for Engaging Employees

The future of work will not look like it does today, nor will the future of recruiting. If businesses want to retain talent they have to shift from thinking in terms of hiring for a job to hiring for cultural fit and skills clusters. 

• In this energetic presentation, Monica Parker takes you through the disruptors to business. 
• You will learn the key attributes candidates are looking for in their next role, and the one quality you should be looking for in them.