With the traditional January ‘re-set’ not too far away (we won’t mention the C word), many organisations are looking to find out what the hot topics are and who’s talking about them with authority and impact.
So here’s our Top Ten list of topics and some of our many speakers who are able and happy to speak about them to you and your team. Read on.
Trust
This is a big one. More and more research shows that the best business outcomes are delivered when trust between co-workers is optimal. Makes sense, right? But how exactly can you build trust, especially where it’s been damaged by poor leadership or communication, or even simply where the problem is fear of change. The best speakers on this offer not just inspiration but also actionable insights that will help guide you on your path to building a culture of trust in your organisation.
+Anita Sands
Courageous Leadership
It’s something everyone would like, but sadly there’s no magic recipe for courage. Real courage means tackling something despite your fear or doubt that your strategy won’t work, because, quite simply, doing nothing is not an option.
Courageous leadership means many things, but we know it when we see it. We recognise it when leaders lead confidently in spite of doubts and uncertainty. And we see it when they get buy-in from stakeholders and team members alike because they believe in you and trust in the outcome.
It’s easy to see why this topic is so ‘hot’ on the conference circuit right now. Perhaps it’s the ultimate reflection of these uncertain times, but people want leaders who are both human – open about their failings – and tenacious enough to realise their dreams, without trampling on others in the process.
Sustainability
Can there be a more urgent topic on the global agenda? As individuals we all seem better informed about what we can do in a private capacity to help create positive change, but when it comes to business and the bigger picture, we seem to draw a blank. In a world of finite resources but a rapidly growing population that is further depleting those resources, is it possible to reconcile business objectives (growth, profit etc) with values that prioritise and preserve our ecosystems and the people that depend on them?
Our speakers on this topic help organisations to be more clear-sighted, positive, motivated and engaged on key issues relating to sustainability.
+Sue Garrand
Human Capital
Our most important asset: people. And yet so many things can blind us to this simple fact: the excitement (and sometimes hype!) about new technology, business’s inevitable focus on the future, the threat of AI, the myriad disruptors that, like a multi-headed Hydra, we feel just keep popping up one after the other. And yet fundamentally, we remain human beings, all trying to do our best, and sometimes – if we’re lucky and we’ve created the right conditions – actually achieving our best.
Human Capital, especially in this technological age, has become a byword for maintaining our focus on the people that are at the heart of every business endeavour – as idea generators, visionaries, sherpas, doers and thinkers.
AI
Do we need more reminders about the possibilities and threats that AI presents? Well, yes, it seems we do, judging by the demand for speakers on this topic. The key is to find ways that integrate AI into an organisation’s activities so that it is embraced rather than reviled, and welcomed rather than feared and misunderstood, notwithstanding its capacity to displace certain roles. Our speakers unpick the problems and offer guidance on how to make the most of AI whatever your industry.
+Anita Sands
Geopolitics/Global Economics
Whatever about most organisations needing more insight into and knowledge of geopolitics, as mere individuals we can often feel overwhelmed by the fast-changing face of politics and political regimes around the world.
The answer? Find people whose passion it is to know, understand, analyse and predict the behavioural and psychological changes we can all expect to see or experience in this era of unprecedented uncertainty, political upheaval and polarisation. And here at Personally Speaking, we are proud to have many of them. Here are just some.
Dealing with Uncertainty
It will be no surprise to many that in this ‘age of anxiety’, more organisations are searching for speakers who can offer them the tools to live purposefully and joyfully in an era that often feels not just defined but also constrained by disruption. Faced with the very real fear of making a misstep or mistake, companies want speakers who tell it how it is and yet who can also inspire, motivate and move you to move beyond inertia and hesitancy to a place of confidence and promise.
Mental Health
Our understanding of what mental health is and means is changing. And thank God for that.
Increasingly, we are coming to view mental health in the same way we view physical health. In other words, it’s not some fixed, pre-determined state. It’s a continuum, a spectrum, and we move along it as we evolve in and respond to the world around us. Most importantly, we can have some control over our mental health; what we do, eat and think influences it, for the good or the bad. And yet stigma, misunderstanding and even shame are still common.
Personally Speaking has a panel of Mental Health speakers that is second to none, from those who have lived with and overcome mental health difficulties or illness, to those who work at the coalface in helping deliver solutions for people both professionally and personally.
Wellness
What is wellness? Well, it’s different things to different people, and we have speakers who can talk eloquently about every aspect of it. The psychological, spiritual, physical, emotional – it’s all up for fertile discussion.
What we do know is that when it comes to corporate social responsibility or human resources, wellness is seen as being of growing importance. Our speakers codify it and help guide audiences to a better understanding of what it is and how to support it in the workplace and beyond.
Resilience
Bounce-backability – that seems to be the most common interpretation of resilience. But in truth it’s rather more complex than that.
While the word ‘bounce’ suggests a response that occurs naturally and almost instantaneously, like a reflex, in reality the process of regaining composure, confidence and stability can take time. Much depends, of course, on the nature and severity of the knockback – illness, loss, etc.
The good news is that we have speakers who can identify the building blocks and key ingredients of resilience and communicate them to audiences in ways that inform thinking, inspire hope and motivate change.
