***All workshops available in person or via online platform***
Mindful Leadership for Individuals, Relationships, and Organizations
On the most basic level, leadership is any action for the purpose of making a change; management is any action for the purpose of creating stability. We need both for healthy individuals and organizations. Much of great leadership is simply creating a safe, stable environment so that the right kind of change can emerge – this is where mindfulness comes in. Mindfulness is simply becoming more aware of ourselves and our environment so we can make better choices. Mindful Leadership is making purposefulness change in a way that meets everybody’s needs, including those of the organization. In this workshop series, participants will learn how to practice Mindful Leadership and will also develop principles that will help them become Mindful Leaders. Visit our Assessments page for more information on Individual, Relational, and Mindful Leadership.
Closing the Communication Gap Between Individuals and Groups of Different Ages
Multiple times a day, we will read or hear about different generations in popular media and in conversation. The subject of intergenerational conflict is popular and prevalent, but more and more, social science researchers are showing that the concept of distinct “generations” with certain attributes is a myth, and that this myth may actually be contributing to workplace conflict. In this workshop, participants will learn about the latest research on the concept of “generations” and why people in different age groups may have different perspectives. We will also learn about how the popular media portrays different age groups and how those portrayals change over time. Finally, participants will learn techniques to resolve conflict in the workplace, including conflict between individuals and groups of different ages.
“Dr. Peters was personable, knowledgeable, and engaging. This course is by the far the best presentation I have seen on this topic. Dr. Peters absolutely gets that the heart of this issue is communication.” – Participant feedback
Beyond Emotional Intelligence: Emotional Competence in the Workplace
You have probably heard of emotional intelligence, but after we are able to identify our emotions and pinpoint their origin, what do we do with them? After developing emotional intelligence, the next step is emotional competence: the ability to balance between managing your emotions and using emotions to propel positive organizational change. Participants will learn why emotional competence is important for organizational functioning, and when and how to successfully use emotions in the workplace.
Using Emotional Granularity to Solve Workplace Issues
Did you know that if we don’t have a word for an emotion, we can truly experience that emotion? Did you know that foreign languages have thousands of feeling words that many of us have never even heard of? Emotional granularity is an aspect of emotional intelligence that refers to the ability to highly specify the emotion you are feeling. Are you angry, or are you feeling betrayed, indignant or outraged? Are you happy, or are you feeling accepted, powerful, or proud? In this workshop, we will learn the difference between affect and emotion, and how to identify your emotions so that you can find the best solution to the challenge that had you feeling that way. Applicable to both our professional and personal lives, emotional granularity is a skill that will help you truly harness the power of your emotions.
“I have learned how to take more control of my emotions and I will use the tools I learned today – they have immediate application.” – Participant feedback
“Dr. Peters’ experience and qualifications showed clearly in her presentation of this topic. Her engaging manner and transparency kept us engaged.” – Participant feedback
“Absolutely awesome.” – Participant feedback
Professional Conflict Resolution and a Culture of Conflict Acceptance
Unresolved conflict impedes communication, contributes to inefficient systems, and often results in burnout and turnover. In this workshop, participants will learn first how to create a culture of conflict acceptance – an organizational culture that acknowledges the inevitability of conflict and enables the organization to manage conflict to its advantage. Second, participants will learn tools supported by recent scientific research to manage and resolve relational and group conflicts. Using the information they have learned, participants will create their own conflict resolution policy, and learn how to contribute to a culture of conflict acceptance in their organization.
“Dr. Peters is very good at linking theory and practice. She is an excellent communicator, with excellent hands-on activities.” – Participant feedback
Effective Communication in Diverse Organizations
With the increased diversity of age, race, culture, and experience in organizations comes increased communication challenges. When you add the proliferation of modes of communication – email, text, phone, Zoom, Teams, Slack and more – you get an exponential increase in communication challenges. In this workshop, we will talk about why communication can be especially difficult in organizations today, and how to reduce conflict by clarifying communication processes. Participants will be introduced to Dr. Peters’ Communication Policy Worksheet, a powerful tool that helps organizations “get on the same page” with communication process and goals and reduce unnecessary conflict.
Mapping Your Organization with the Circles of Influence Model (CIM)
Dr. Peters originally developed the Circles of Influence Model (CIM) when she was running a nonprofit and wanted to help the employees understand the systems-related challenges in their organization and draw out their ideas for solutions. Since then, she has used the CIM in several organizations to help them see how relationships, patterns of communication, and differences in decision-making power affect organizational processes and individual effectiveness. The CIM is not only useful for gathering systems information, it can also be an effective conflict management tool because building a CIM together increases understanding and empathy, and promotes communication and creative problem-solving. In this workshop, participants will learn how to build a CIM that reflects their understanding of their own organization. Watch a video on how to build a CIM.
“This tool helped me look at the structure of my agency and how a few changes could really reduce conflict.” – Participant feedback
Highly Sensitive People in the Workplace
Are you extremely sensitive, emotionally and physically? Do you know or work with someone who is? Participants in this workshop will learn about sensory processing sensitivity, or individuals who are Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs), how they might be able to identify it in themselves or in others, and the potential effects of adverse work events on HSPs. Participants will also learn what individuals who are highly sensitive can contribute to the workplace, and how to best support HSPs, especially in a social work or human services organization.
Program Evaluation - An Overview
Evaluation is a critical, and often overlooked, step in ensuring a successful program. Ideally, the methods of program evaluation should be built into your program plans. Even if you are asked to evaluate a program you did not develop or implement, you can follow some specific steps to determine whether the program is achieving its goals, and how efficient it is. Participants in this workshop will get a broad overview of each of the steps of program development, implementation, and evaluation, and have the opportunity to practice applying program development tools to their own work. Learning objectives include: 1) Learn the five steps of developing and maintaining a successful evidence-based program; 2) Practice applying tools of program development, implementation, and evaluation, including program statements, logic models, and surveys and 3) Have a beginning understanding of how to apply evaluation results to the program budget.
What People are Saying about Dr. Peters and Human Systems Workshops
From confidential workshop evaluations:
“Very personable, very likable. I would attend another one of her trainings…”
“Extremely supportive and enthusiastic of attendees’ ideas and input. Very nice demeanor and knowledgeable….”
“Interactive, helpful, and open to new ideas.”
“Great use of group work paired with content delivery.”
“Informative, creative, open, and educational.”
“She made the information clear and accessible.”
