Rikke Østergaard

Social Intelligence

Humans are social beings and fundamentally not designed for the individualistic form of social interaction and way of working that modern society motivates.

The art of being able to read others’ signals, to be empathetically present, and optimally fair in all social contexts is a skill not mastered by many. It is not often easy to detect in ourselves or in others, as it has become a general flaw in many of us. Those with high social awareness and social intelligence are generally able to create positive results while performing better at work and feeling a sense of satisfaction in their personal lives.

Rikke Østergaard passionately shares her one-off take on human social intelligence in this keynote. The participants will gain a deep insight into the mechanisms at play between people. Subsequently, the simple hands-on tools she presents are easy to incorporate into daily life and will assist in strengthening work-related and personal relations. This will create a positive impact on how individuals perceive themselves in relation to others, and therefore have the ability to completely transform companies and all human interactions, as success can sprout both individually and collectively.

Social intelligence – master the ground rules of life

Positive Sociology

Positive (corporate) sociology is a new and progressive method to ensure successful interaction between people.

In contrast to positive psychology, where the focal point is the individual, positive sociology focuses on the group, society, and the workplace.

Our attitudes have an impact on others, much more than we realize. Negative attitudes and behaviors are contagious. Thankfully, so too is kindness and positivity. However, a single person will most likely struggle to maintain a good spirit if the rest of the department is down or in a foul mood.

We transmit stress to one another, and a group or a company can be successful by allowing gratitude and humor to be the contagious bug circulating among its people.

The best and direct way to strengthen productivity and to eliminate a negative working climate and stress is by implementing positive sociology as part of the work agenda. When a company has an overall uplifting environment, it will have a positive impact on all employees and make it possible for them to fully focus on their assignments and ultimately, find pleasure in going to work.

A comprehensive understanding of how we handle demanding situations collectively in corporations and society is vital. This is where positive sociology is a very powerful tool in conflict management and for development strategies on all levels.

In this lecture, Rikke Østergaard offers tangible examples on how we can dramatically improve our interactions, not only within the workplace, but in all social contexts. This way we also optimize our indisputably important social intelligence. The presented techniques are easy to understand, and participants can immediately apply them in their daily lives.

Rikke’s starting point is not only the more well-known psychological motives dictating how humans act and interact. She gives a 360-degree perspective on the social ground rules and the societal and corporate structures that play an important role in problem-solving, and when we wish to motivate drive and work satisfaction in the workplace.

Rikke delivers this exciting and educational lecture, which provokes the more established ideas of positive psychology and takes a big leap further to ensure that innovative solutions can be applied both individually and within companies for high-level strategy.

Positive sociology – the true key to success

Mind Training

Most of us in modern society are familiar with endless to-do lists, phone calls, emails, and a continuous overload of assignments distracting us from what needs to be done.

This causes our thoughts to race at a high speed, leaving us feeling mentally fatigued and unable to focus and concentrate.

Being online like never before with the constant disruption of digital services, it is important to know how and when to turn off all of the ‘inner and outer noise’. By doing this, we become more capable of being focused in the present moment and able to concentrate on one task at the time.

There is an abundance of scientific evidence on how mind training strengthens vital parts of our brain, thus making us able to act more consciously, rationally and not be driven by reckless impulses. It also provides us with greater cognitive capacity, effectiveness, creativity, and improves our relationships with others.

In this lecture, Rikke Østergaard introduces simple exercises with a measurable positive effect on the body and mind. Participants will learn how to handle difficult decision-making with greater ease, and experience increased levels of gratitude and happiness in their daily lives. Mind training is like Xanax, but without artificial chemicals, and actively counters stress and stress-related diseases when practiced regularly.

The lecture combines ancient knowledge and traditions with the latest neuroscience, progressive sociology, and current studies on modern society. Rikke offers unique insights and information and skillfully takes mind training to a whole new level.

Mind training – Sharpen your focus and create results

Gratefulness

Gratefulness is a direct path to increased happiness and lower levels of stress.

New research shows that gratitude alters our brain and, subsequently, shifts our reality and outlook on life. When we are grateful, our stress levels decrease, we sleep better, our relationships improve, and we experience greater levels of optimism in our daily activities.

Today, many of us are rarely truly satisfied with our circumstances or efforts, which then become a dark cloud hovering over our existence affecting our mood, performance, and overall health and wellbeing.  With time, we become less capable of seeing and appreciating the positive things in our lives. The more we live in this ‘subconscious’ state of dissatisfaction, the more unhappy we will become. As a result, we are unable to thrive in our work and personal lives, and we get caught in an unproductive spiral proving very hard to break.

Rikke Østergaard´s inspiring and thought-provoking lecture on gratitude is based on her bestselling book Thank You!. She presents exclusive insights into the transformational powers of gratitude, and participants will learn simple methods to counter the negative focus hindering them to reach their full potential. The lecture also teaches us how gratefulness in companies and organizations can improve both the work environment and the relationship between employees and leaders.

When we are pleased with what we already have, we have the best starting point to create the life and the results which we most desire. We become better versions of ourselves as individuals, partners, parents, employees, and executives.

Reach your goal with gratitude

Leadership Management

A crucial element of good leadership is the ability to make the right decisions.

Demonstrating advanced decision-making skills creates trust and produces the desired outcomes. It is not only vital that all leaders are comfortable in the role as confident decision-makers, but they are also responsive to good advice, constructive feedback, and counseling in the process.

It can be a great challenge to find the right balance, which is why decision-making should be an essential focus area for all companies and organizations.

The consequences of executive decisions that are either overly vague or exceedingly rigid can be critical in relation to employee satisfaction, financially, and for the organizational structure as a whole. In addition to this, the credibility and competence of the leader is constantly at stake.

Rikke Østergaard confronts the classic management techniques in this lecture and challenges the participants with new progressive tools that offer food for thought and new tactics for decisive action. The lecture will explore valuable ways to build more strength in relations with employees, clients, stakeholders, the media and more.

Great leaders make great decisions!

Stress Management

Every day, stress and stress-related diseases are the cause of millions of cases of sick leave in organizations around the world.

Stress is not only affecting our health, but it also has a direct impact on our levels of productivity, our conflict resolution skills, and our creative problem-solving abilities. This is not only very costly for both society and corporations as a whole, but it is also devastating for our private and professional lives.

People generally tend to focus on quick fix solutions, which can prove valuable. However, without a fundamental understanding of why so many of us feel overwhelmed by everyday activities and are not able to meet the expectations of being capable of multi-tasking at work, we are unable to break the vicious cycle.

Rikke Østergaard examines and addresses the root causes of these issues on a societal level in her keynote on stress and stress management. Through a sociological lens, the participants will be offered unique insights into themselves and the broader context, which provoke stress in human beings. In addition, Rikke imparts concrete and simple methods about stress prevention for us to optimize the way we work, utilize the full capacity of our brains, and to experience far greater joy and wellbeing in our daily lives.