Jennifer Edwards and Katie McCleary are passionate about creating healthy, passionate about skilling-up leaders, teams, and organizations around the world to have critical conversations, to collaborate most effectively, and develop meaningful influence and actionable conversations that amplify the power of teamwork. As co-authors of BRIDGE THE GAP: Breakthrough Communication Tools to Transform Work Relationships from Challenging to Collaborative (McGraw-Hill), they show everyday professionals how to use the social psychology of human behavior to drive meaningful communication and collaboration at work. They teach professionals how to elevate their emotional intelligence and influence. Bridge the Gap is a thoroughly researched book, featuring credible data and best practices from 59 thought leaders and professionals and garnered Inc Magazine’s 1 of 3 business books to read in 2022. They personally know the transformative power of collaboration between unique, talented, and smart people. They embrace their own energetic dichotomies of being Traditional/Non-Traditional; Country/Rock-n-Roll; Christian/Buddhist, and Executive/Creative to help thousands find the sweet spot in their teams and relationships by transforming how they think, behave, converse, and collaborate. Watch their viral TEDx Talk—Critical Conversations 2.0: Bridge the Gap—which garnered over 1.2 million views in less than 4 months on YouTube. Their work has been featured Fast Company, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Investor’s Business Daily, ComputerWorld, Apple News, Shondaland, and many more.
With engaging props, stories, and activities grounded in neuroscience, Edwards and McCleary captivate audiences and help them find the sweet spot in their teamwork and relationships. Audiences will learn the 4 C’s to Mastering Collaboration and specifically know how to show up in any interaction by being:
- Psychologically Clean—where people are calm, present, willing, and able to collaborate or converse without dominating the conversation, becoming defensive, or being triggered.
- Radically Curious—where people learn replicable conversation patterns that open everyone up to hear diverse perspectives and creative ideas without fear or tension.
- Truly Collaborative—where people create action around shared goals and outcomes and then execute them efficiently using teamwork.
- Committed to Caring – where people commit to quality work and actively foster trust and respect in their professional relationships.
Speaking Topics -
The Curiosity Cure
These polarizing times have been tough. Let’s admit it – we all struggle to like, understand, and respect each other. But – what if we could change that dynamic? What if there was a “cure” to having better, crucial, and courageous conversations, even for those of that shy away or avoid them all together?
Your innate curiosity has the power to positively change the dynamics of your relationships and increase the quality and output of your work with others and on teams. When curiosity is operationalized, you can use it as a tool to change the quality, productivity, and true connection of any interaction.
Rooted in practical neuroscience, Edwards and McCleary equip audiences around the world and across industries with paradigm shifts and essential skills to help them communicate and collaborate better with anyone, anywhere, anytime. They know the power of collaboration between diverse, talented, and smart people. They use their own tools and practice what they preach! By embracing their own energetic dichotomies: Conservative/Liberal; Country/Rock-n-Roll; Christian/Buddhist; and Executive/Creative, Jennifer and Katie help diverse people and teams connect authentically and purposefully.
Far from jargon or fluff, this engaging and interactive keynote includes memorable props, razor-sharp insights, and immediate actionable shifts that help you improve your conversations and relationships.
Learning Objectives:
- Discover how to harness your curiosity to strengthen your perceptions
- Learn how your biology and psychology react during times of conflict and how to disrupt being hijacked from negative reactions
- Develop a new communication approach to have meaningful and productive conversations to move your work forward
- Walk away with Bridge the Gap’s Top 10 Pro Communication Tips to become a leader in all your relationships
2 Sides of 1 Coin: Having Conversations in Polarizing and Pressure-Filled Times
Let’s face it, many conversations go sideways. Many of us feel “squeezed” in these polarizing, cancel-culture times, and shocking data shows that this tension is seeping into the workplace and costing companies millions. With the rise of social media, political polarization, the new reality of work from home, and the Great Resignation… we are experiencing our peers or team in a whole new way. For instance, we see the inside of their homes, hear their dogs bark, witness what matters to them on their feeds and on the walls of their house… and sometimes we even hear the toilet flush! How can we engage optimally with people in this new paradigm, especially if they hold different perspectives, values, and beliefs… and sometimes seem to be on a “whole other planet?”
In a fast-paced, reactive, and noisy world, listening and speaking truth has become more complicated than ever. Quality communication arises from how you interact with others, and too much emphasis is often placed on language to do the hard work of communication. Great conversations that move the needle forward and improve processes begins with intentional listening and a conversation paradigm that is 1 way. Rooted in practical neuroscience, Edwards and McCleary equip audiences around the world and across industries with paradigm shifts and essential skills to help them communicate and collaborate better with anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Edwards and McCleary know the power of collaboration between diverse, talented, and smart people. They use their own tools and practice what they preach! By embracing their own energetic dichotomies: Conservative/Liberal; Country/Rock-n-Roll; Christian/Buddhist; and Executive/Creative, Jennifer and Katie help diverse people and teams connect authentically and purposefully.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn to hold yourself present in any conversation and navigate challenging conversations
- Strengthen yourself and/or a team to be more productive, innovative, and collaborative
- Discover game-changing differences between “sloppy” and “clean and curious” listening
- Acquire the right questions that open you—and others up—to create breakthroughs
- Walk away with effective language to use in any conversation to be highly effective, transparent, and collaborative
“Teamwork is ubiquitous—and underappreciated. Almost every job depends not only on getting the work done, but also on getting that work done through other people. Edwards and McCleary have written a clear and timely guide for any professional who wants to build a better collaborative environment.”
“Teamwork is ubiquitous—and underappreciated. Almost every job depends not only on getting the work done, but also on getting that work done through other people. Edwards and McCleary have written a clear and timely guide for any professional who wants to build a better collaborative environment.”