SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

The link between the key elements of healthy work cultures and sustainable organizations is emerging on many fronts. This session will explore Emotional Intelligence (EI) as an integral element to developing and sustaining healthy workplace cultures. This shift in turn will provide the adaptability to support organizational sustainability in the continuous whitewater of the twenty-first century. Could Emotional Intelligence at all levels be one of the conditions for success? Marie Mac Donald is a practitioner and educator with in-depth experience working on EI development. She will share exciting examples where intensive focus on EI team development is netting real results.

Are you tired of constant complaining around the office? Do you feel like you’re swimming in polluted water all day? Come and learn how to put an end to complaints and gossip and how to shift your conversations so they are creating positive energy instead of indulging the usual "trauma sharing" and relationship destruction. This workshop is all about cleaning up the garbage of our communication at work and includes many activities that will show you the true power of conversations, as well as how to create new possibilities, both at work and in life.

This interactive workshop will provide a pan-Canadian view of provincial workplace health initiatives and explore opportunities for continued collaboration. Examples such as the BC Healthy Business Forum, the Ontario Healthy Workplace Coalition (OHWC) and Health Works – the Nova Scotia Provincial Strategy will be shared. Health Canada will share findings of their pan- Canadian environmental scan. The workshop will then provide an opportunity to find ways to effectively communicate and share our experiences across the country. Participants will contribute to an important discussion on determining the priorities for cross-jurisdictional communication on workplace health.

Every profession has a "shadow side", and the helping professions – human resources, counselling, and health care, to name a few – are no exception. Add a busy and insensitive work world, and it’s no wonder many caring professionals become demoralized and bitter at work. There is a way forward, one that revives the heart of work and makes it possible to give back anew to employees, clients and the community. This interactive session uses a discovery model and features two innovative techniques for professional development in groups. These tested approaches use storytelling to come to terms with professional shadow and reconnect with peers at a deeper level.

While companies are aware of the importance of communicating their social responsibility to external audiences, they often overlook their most important target - their very own employees. In order to maximize a company’s social contributions, they must create a plan to leverage their philanthropic strategy and develop a more inspirational workplace. Peggie Pelosi leads you through the key steps to ensure that your corporate philanthropy initiatives create a positive corporate culture, including: creating leadership driven philanthropy • securing buy-in from senior management • selecting a cross-functional steering committee • identifying a focused and relevant cause to support and celebrating and rewarding corporate champions.

This workshop will explore what leadership really is (hint: it’s a process, not a person or position). We’ll explore and discuss these leadership processes, and show that when they are created in the proper way, they can lead to higher levels of employee connection and lowered psycho-social toxicity in work units. Using consulting experiences, theoretical academic research, and empirical research blended with the work experiences of participants, we’ll focus on the "strategy" of pushing these processes to the front line and how this can positively affect the engagement of your employees.

Learn how one employer is building their support network through personal health knowledge, creative solution based philosophies and proactive programs and services. River Valley Health’s journey to health has not been on overnight initiative. This long-term commitment to employee health has been a philosophy they have worked hard to weave into the very fibre of their workplace culture. This session will share with participants how River Valley Health has been able build their support network and ensure a proactive approach to employee health and engagement. This interactive session will provide you with real and sustainable ideas for effective attendance support, disability management, personal health initiatives, and the value of collaborative partnerships for effective program delivery and support.

In every workplace some people are healthy, others are at risk of disease or disability. At the same time, some people are off work due to illness or injury, while others are returning to work after an absence. What’s the best way to address the health management needs of a diverse population? How best to build a truly sustainable workforce? How does one make the business case? This session will explore these questions and offer innovative, integrated solutions for organizations aiming to improve the health of their employees and their families through creative, engaging programs and services.

The World Health Organization recognizes tobacco addiction as a chronic, relapsing medical condition. It is the leading cause of preventable death, disease, and disability, costing Canada an estimated $17 billion per annum. The benefits of tobacco cessation vastly outweigh the costs, and clinical practice guidelines help navigate the journey towards quitting. The workplace is an ideal setting for assisting employees achieve optimal health, and doing so avoids unnecessary health care spending by preventing death, disease, and disability. The speakers will reflect on their experience in helping a number of healthcare workplaces adopt healthy tobacco control policies while guiding the necessary supports for helping employees and consumers.

No organization can afford to let preventable illness affect its performance, particularly among its key decision-makers. Nevertheless, many executives fail to prioritize managing their own health proactively; particularly if no immediate health concern is apparent. Can an executive health program have a measurable impact on the health of an organization’s executives? How do you get buy-in to make health prevention a priority within this challenging audience? What are the appropriate benchmarks and what results are being achieved? Drawing on two decades of experience in the field, Dr. Elman will lead participants through an informative and thought-provoking examination of case studies that demonstrate how organizations are improving the health of their executive population with a corporate health-promotion program.

Healthy workplace cultures are built on trust – the cornerstone of quality jobs and performance excellence. High-trust relationships require behaviours that can be learned and embedded in an organization’s culture. This session offers key insights from the Great Place to Work® Institute’s research on high-trust workplace cultures, helping participants to identify opportunities for change in their own organization. Our research identifies five trust-building dimensions commonly found in the best workplaces: credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie. This session will provide evidence and best practice examples of how healthy cultures are created and sustained; drawing on our globally published "Best Workplace" lists.

Generational differences are not often obvious at work, but they can make a big difference. Leading your multi-generational team effectively in the midst of critical labour shortages will help you retain skilled workers, plan for succession with confidence, and gain creative capacity to respond to customers and the market. Join this interactive session to: gain awareness of values and traits of the four generations • relate this to your work environment • understand the impact on working relationships and productivity • obtain practical strategies and tips for leading multi-generational teams.

Do you know the difference between a group and a team? Have you ever felt a part of a great workplace team? What does it take to create one? And how can great teamwork transform your workplace’s long-term sustainability? Corporate Dragon invites you to discover the answers in a unique simulation that’s totally interactive and collaborative. By physically re-enacting what it’s like to paddle and race a dragon boat, you’ll get a hands-on understanding of how teamwork can grow in a diverse group. You’ll learn why trust and respect are essential. And you’ll see how great teamwork can produce exponential efficacy throughout your organization. Your great workplace team awaits you!

In this interactive presentation, they will offer a taste of an Inner Odyssey, by first establishing a meaningful customized retreat. Plans for your own Odyssey will be based on a questionnaire designed to explore the considerations and resistances to retreat. Finally, there will be an opportunity to experience a mini-Inner Odyssey by partaking in several contemplative practices and an active mediation. By the end of this presentation, you will have a tool kit to create your own customized retreat, as well as a tantalizing taste of timelessness.

Sustainable Business Practices (SBP) represent an organization’s commitment to improving the quality of life of the workforce and society at large, while sustaining its on-going business concerns. As business and society are inextricably linked, a corporation cannot succeed without a strong and healthy "workplace-society". Proactive organizations are identifying opportunities to create both business advantage and social benefit, while desirable employees are seeking work in healthy environments with strong SBP. This seminar will share actionable strategies for establishing effective SBP programs and assessing their impact on employee attraction, engagement, and retention.

Leanne and Doug will discuss how UBC Okanagan, as a relatively new institution, had a unique and exciting opportunity to shape the workplace culture with attention to its sustainability and a view to the future. Recently awarded the "Work Life BC" Award of Merit, UBC Okanagan is on a path to doing the right things to create a healthy, vibrant workplace and campus community. In the past, Scotiabank wellness programs were reactive and treatment focused. The bank had a silo-approach to program management and providers’ service delivery. In 2004, Scotiabank developed a proactive, integrated wellness strategy as a long-term, sustainable response for escalating health care costs and risks. Through the integration of providers’ services and internal programs and services, the bank ensures wellness programs provide continuing and appropriate health care management for employees. This session will illustrate the importance of integration and highlight various wellness programs.

InterfaceFLOR is the world’s leading manufacturer of modular carpet. Its mission is to become a sustainable corporation by leading a worldwide effort to design sustainable manufacturing and development processes by 2020. Claude will share his insight on how that vision is becoming reality, how it has engaged employees in the process and how each of us can make a difference.