Keynote Speakers
Morning - Buhle Dlamini:
Owning the Future – Creating Tomorrow’s World Today
What competencies, self-awareness, and knowledge do we need to ensure an engaged and inclusive future?
This presentation looks at a future that is shaped by a diverse workforce, escalating technology, and changing demographics that will shape our institutional community. The most successful organisations are going to be those that build future thinking, adaptability, inclusion and innovation in their strategic planning and initiatives. Learn what you can do to help create inclusive environments that lead to innovation and success both individually and institutionally. Creating tomorrow’s world today.
More about Buhle Dlamini:
Afternoon – Bill Howatt:
Leading Mentally Healthy Workplaces
Dr. Bill Howatt has 30 years of experience as a practitioner in the field of mental health, strategic HR and leadership. In addition to being a leader in the mental health conversation in Canada, Dr. Howatt has a proven track record helping employees, managers, and senior leaders cope with the stressors that arise at work and at home. Dr. Howatt will discuss the impact of stress and how coping skills are an important part in creating a mentally resilient, engaged, and productive workplace.
Achieving a mentally healthy workplace is built on the foundation of the employee-manager relationship. What people leaders say and do can impact the work environment and those around them and so can be enablers or roadblocks to creating a mentally healthy workplace. In the end, every people leader is dependent on what they can accomplish through their people.
In this session, you will:
- Learn about the impact of home and work stressors on employees’ mental health
- Examine the role that coping skills and resiliency have in assisting leaders and employees to flourish
- Explore how best to build trust and promote a psychologically safe workplace
- Walk through a five-step model for stepping in and supporting employees who are struggling or not performing to their potential
More about Bill Howatt:
Concurrent Session Descriptions:
Concurrent Session # 1 Morning
1st Option: Buhle Dlamini
Leveraging Cultural Intelligence/CQ
Cultural intelligence is no longer a nice to have, but a necessary skill for success in a changing world. Cultural Intelligence, or CQ, measures your capability to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. It’s a form of intelligence that has been tested by academic researchers in over 98 countries for nearly two decades. In this interactive workshop we will delve into understanding global cultural values that shape our cultural worldviews and the four CQ capabilities for measuring and improving your CQ. By increasing your cultural intelligence you can better deal with unconscious biases when engaging with people who are different from yourself. CQ can also help in fostering cultural awareness and understanding. Buhle brings his expertise as a certified associate facilitator and partner with the Cultural Intelligence Centre in Michigan, he has trained teams and organisations all over the world.
More about Buhle Dlamini:
2nd Option: Erin Blay & Rochelle Owen
Dalhouse / Halifax Transit Partnerships - Increasing Sustainable Mobility Options for ±«Óătv Community Members
In this session Erin Blay, Supervisor, Service Design & Projects with Halifax Transit along with Rochelle Owen, Executive Director of the Office of Sustainability at ±«Óătv University will share information about recent partnerships between ±«Óătv and Halifax Transit designed to increase the sustainable mobility options for ±«Óătv faculty, staff, and students. We will also review recently transportation planning strategies, upcoming projects, and events which will impact the University community. Part of the session will also be geared to gathering feedback from participants on future public transit and sustainable transportation efforts.
More about the Erin & Rochelle:
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Concurrent Session #2 Afternoon
1st Option: Jamie O’Neil
Navigating Intergenerational Teams and Workplaces
Millennials have just recently begun to enter the workforce. They are now only about 10% of the total workforce, but are quickly becoming the dominant population in entry level positions. Their expectations in the workplace, family/work life priorities and thinking styles are considerably different from most of their managers’. They are the largest cohort since the Boomers and will change business and work.
The issue of how to motivate and lead the newest crop of workers has been top of mind for many organizations. Even though research has pegged Millennials as accepting of authority, and craving feedback and constant positive reinforcement, as a workforce, we are struggling with how to lead and manage this newest group of employees.
Topics Covered:
- Recognize the strengths and weaknesses and understand what each generation enjoys
- Effectively communicate, motivate, engage and inspire each generation to meet their goals to achieve superior job performance
- See the opportunity in each generation and bring awareness on how to best work together and lead effectively
More about Jamie:
2nd Option: Year of Belong Panel Discussion
This session is inspired by the Belong Forum Lecture Series which asks, “What would it take to create a world where we all feel like we truly belong?” How does this fit within the context of our conference theme - ±«Óătv 200 and Beyond: Places, Faces and Spaces? We have invited a few DPMG members to share how the work they engage has been influenced by the Year of Belonging initiative, with the hope it will inspire a meaningful dialogue between session participants. This session is meant to provide opportunity for DPMG members to continue in the important conversations that have been occurring on campus with The Year of Belonging.
Dialogue will be moderated by Jill Malolepszy Interim Director, Human Rights & Case Management with Human Rights and Equity Services. Discussion panelists include: Tereigh Ewert-Bauer- Senior Educational Developer (Diversity and Inclusivity) with the Centre for Learning and Teaching | Michelle Patrick - Program Coordinator, PLANS (Promoting Leadership in health for African Nova Scotians) | Matthew Guy - Director, Student Success on the Agricultural Campus.
