Presentations by Karen Schmidt

Karen’s presentation style is fast paced, audience centred and full of practical information you can use immediately. She uses humour, props and audience participation to get her message across.

That's why she's been awarded the National Speakers Association Australia QLD Speaker of the Year Award

Karen's focus is on helping managers re-engage their teams and themselves at work. Her range of standard presentations below can also be tailored to suit the specific needs of your audience. So whether you are looking for a keynote/concurrent session speaker for your conference, someone to feature at an inhouse development event or a presenter for a client function, Karen can help.

To see Karen in action click here to view her online video preview

How to feel F.R.E.S.H.™ at work every day!

Have you been through a tough period lately? Too much change and not enough staff? Feeling a bit low on energy but not sure what to do about it? What you need is a F.R.E.S.H.™ approach to work.

Using a simple 5 step formula, learn how you can get back your energy and become fully engaged at work. Whether you are a business owner, manager or employee Karen can help you feel F.R.E.S.H.™ at work every day!

You will learn how to be . . .

• Forward thinking: How to have a clear vision of the future
• Resilient: 3 simple ways to bounce back from any adversity
• Enthusiastic: How to tap into your passion and increase your enthusiasm for work
• Stretching: The benefits of getting outside your comfort zone
• Holistic: How to balance the 6 vital aspects of life

You can also opt to concentrate on just one aspect of Karen's F.R.E.S.H. formula. Each of the 5 key areas can be delivered as a stand alone presentation.

Look out future, here I come
How becoming a forward thinker can change your outlook

When you think about the future do you get excited or does the mental picture you have of your world 5 years from now make you nervous? If so, there is something you can do to change your view from a negative to a positive. Whether you are thinking about your personal or professional life, having something to look forward to is one of the secrets to happiness and fulfillment, which lead to productivity and passion. Learn how to become a forward thinker by following a few simple, yet powerful steps and watch your future really come to life!

You will learn . . .

• The art of Prospection  . . . what it is and why you should do some
• Recognising the signs of living in the past and why we do it
• Moving on and letting go of limiting beliefs and actions
• Understanding the power of attention
• How to create a clear vision of the future in 3 simple steps

Bouncing back better than ever
3 simple ways to be more resilient

The ability to bounce back from adversity is a vital skill for anyone who wants to survive and thrive in the competitive business world. Successful people are the ones who are willing to take risks and make mistakes, which means they deal with a lot of adversity. However, many of us have lost the ability to be resilient and we need to learn how to get it back. Becoming more resilient is easy when you know how. This practical session will give you real life examples of how to boost your resilience levels so you actually look forward to the challenge of overcoming any adversity that you face.

You will learn . . .

• Why adversity is good for you
• How to measure your resilience levels
• Why you are already resilient, you just don’t know it
• The power of our thoughts in dealing with adversity
• 3 simple questions that will boost your ability to bounce back

Enthusiasm matters!

Enthusiasm, energy, passion . . . call what ever you like but make sure you have some! Today maintaining enthusiasm for life in general, and work in particular, can be difficult with so many demands being placed on us. Without enthusiasm you end up sleep walking through life rather than fully embracing everything it has to offer. If you have ever worked with people who have low enthusiasm levels you will know what affect it can have on those around them. Don’t be that person  . . . let Karen show you how to regain your natural enthusiasm by understanding where it comes from, why it disappears and how you can get it back! The result will be you leave with a renewed sense of passion for life that will see you really enjoying every moment.

You will learn . . .

• How enthusiasm can help you at work and in life
• Measuring your natural levels of enthusiasm
• Recognising the 4 faces of enthusiasm in your workplace
• Why you need to learn to flow
• How to find your “it factor”
• At least 5 ways to be more enthusiastic that cost nothing

How to grow your comfort zone

We all know it’s a good idea to physically stretch ourselves on a regular basis to prevent our body becoming rigid but how many of us remember to do some mental stretching as well. Your brain can also suffer from thinking and acting in the same ways for too long. To be successful in the current work environment you need to be continually growing and expanding your comfort zone. In this fun and interactive session learn all about the how’s and why’s of stretching your comfort zone so you can grow to your full potential.

You will learn . . .

• Scientific research on why you need to regularly stretch your brain
• Choosing which of the 4 zones you want to live in
• How to tell when you it’s time to grow
• The importance of the “symbolic stretch”
• A simple, easy to follow guide to stretching your comfort zone

Mastering the balancing act
How to keep your life in balance and stay sane

Are you constantly stressed? Do you find your “to do” list is getting longer, not shorter? Does there never seem to be enough time for you? If you answered yes to any of these questions that it’s time to restore the balance in your life! Keeping your life in balance is vitally important to your physical and mental health. Having a balanced life allows you to do more and enjoy what you do more. In other words, it helps you to be more successful, both personally and professionally. Find out how balanced you are and what you can do to fix your imbalances in this fun and interactive session.

You will learn . . .

• Balance: what it is and why it matters
• The wheel of life: 6 areas you need to keep in balance to get ahead
• How balanced are you? Take the test
• Danger ahead: the warning signs that you are out of balance
• 5 simple steps to restoring balance in your life

Re-engage your team and watch your organisation grow!

It used to be that the biggest staffing problem managers had to deal with was high turnover. Today, the real issue is engagement - finding a way to get people to do more than just turn up to work physically. It’s about finding ways to engage them mentally and emotionally.

I’ll bet your people were engaged when you hire them but along the way something happened, their motivation levels dropped off and their performance has suffered too. Learn all about why people become disengaged, what impact it has on your organisation and, more importantly, how to fix it.

You will learn . . .

• How employee engagement links to bottom line results
• Recognising the 3 levels of engagement
• What causes disengagement: are you making any of the fatal errors?
• 3 simple keys to re-engaging your team
• A step by step plan for lifting engagement levels

What it takes to engage the generations

There is a revolution going on in the workplace. As the final members of one generation of employees leave, the next group is thinking about following them but are realising their plans for early retirement might not work out. Another generation is arriving on the scene with a mission to transform the workplace. Caught in the middle is a generation who've been waiting their turn to shine only to find that the newcomers have other ideas.

Welcome to a workplace with multiple generations! As a manager your next challenge is to find a way to engage each of these 4 groups . . . because you can't afford not to. So what does it take to get people aged from 16 to 66 engaged at work?

You will learn . . .

• It’s not just a passing fad: why the generations matters
• How our early experiences affect our attitudes to work
• Key factors that define each generation and their impact on your organisation
• Why there is no generation gap: what all generations have in common
• Getting them to engaged: turn ons and turn offs for each generation

Bonding with Builders and Boomers
The secrets to managing people older than you

What do you do when the people you manage have been working longer than you’ve been alive? What if they wanted the role you’ve just been promoted to? What if they have “been there and done that” and decided to step down? These are just some of the questions younger managers find themselves facing in the multi generational workplace.

With the growth in people staying at work longer (some by choice, others forced by circumstances) a new skill set is required by managers to ensure they are making the most of what can be their most valuable asset – the older worker.

You will learn . . .

• Dispelling the myths: they can change and do like IT!
• Their definitions of hard work, loyalty and more
• Making the most of their greatest asset - experience
• 5 management qualities that older workers value
• How to help them manage the transition to retirement (whatever that means for them)

The X and Y factor
Managing the new breed of employees

“Young people today, what’s wrong with them?” I think you’ll find this question has been asked by older people since the dawn of time. The truth is there’s nothing wrong with them. They’re just a product of the political, economic, social and technological conditions created by the generations before them.

Learn more about the new breed of employees, their perspectives on work and what you need to do as a manger to get the most out of them - for however long they stay with your organisation!  

You will learn . . .

• The views of Generation X and Gen Y on the workplace created by earlier generations
• Why they don’t like turning up on time, following the rules or filling out timesheets
• Overcoming the stereotypes - yours and theirs
• How to use their career mobility to benefit your organisation
• Why the real issue is getting them to get along with each other

To enquire about booking Karen click here