SPEAKING

We can be the people we aspire to be and have the relationships we want in our families, places of work, and communities. We can define and hold ourselves to high expectations and care for our emotional capacity and mental health.

Join Rosalind Wiseman as she shows us how to embrace the power of dignity to build courage, connection, and community. In this inspiring presentation filled with (un)common sense and humor, Rosalind shares powerful insights to living a principled life. With this path to keep our thoughts and actions on course, we maintain a sense of purpose, meaning, and capacity no matter what comes our way.

Topics covered:

Defining the difference between respect and dignity to transform relationships

Understanding emotional regulation

Valuing high expectations and high support

Creating and maintaining boundaries

How can we have honest conversations about topics that silence most of us or in which only a few people dominate? How do we create and sustain an inclusive community where people feel a sense of belonging? How do we know when to advocate for each other or receive feedback when our intentions don't match our impact?

We live in a time where it can feel too hard, too frightening for some of us to step into these moments and make a difference. This presentation shows you how.

Topics covered:

Managing emotions in contentious interactions

Recognizing the difference between a curious question and a question that intensifies conflict

Transforming people’s discomfort into the capacity to build relationships and resilience

Realizing the connection between emotional regulation, emotional hijacking, and boundaries

As young people navigate a constantly changing educational environment, we know one thing is certain: Supportive relationships and social skills are critical to their emotional well-being. But these skills are not “soft skills.” They are essential for kids to engage in their education and support their emotional and mental health. From their friendships, anxiety, social media, conflicts with friends and family, and the constant pressure to “keep up,” this presentation will share insights and strategies to best connect—especially when they need us most.

Topics covered:

The current landscape for young people

Defining the difference between dignity and respect and its essential role in relationships with young people

Concrete, relatable strategies to support young people’s development and resilience

Effective communication between adults and young people to avoid power struggles

Over 20 years ago, the book Queen Bees & Wannabes profoundly changed the way we see girls' friendships. Three editions later, along with the publication of Masterminds & Wingmen, Rosalind Wiseman has continued to pull back the curtain on what’s going on in young people’s culture—from gender to canceling, their friendships, and social hierarchies.

In this presentation, she will share how young people's social group dynamics influence their interactions and offers step-by-step advice on how to teach them how to navigate these common yet complex situations, such as why young people can be reluctant to ask for help. She’ll also give common-sense suggestions that adults can use to break through communication barriers. This presentation can be tailored for both student and adult audiences and will be customized to reflect any specifics that should be addressed in your community.

Young people are asking for, and sometimes demanding, leadership roles in new and innovative ways. But they rarely have the skills to apply “leadership moments” when it matters most. In this workshop designed for educators and young people, Rosalind Wiseman shares how students can bring dignity into their understanding of leadership and learn effective strategies to manage groups, inspire and listen to others.

Topics covered:

Defining leadership outside of formal roles

Showing the difference between being bossy and leadership

Understanding how young people’s experiences with those in authority influence their leadership styles

Creating a feeling of belonging in the group so people feel their contribution is valued

Managing conflict as a leader and transforming these moments into resilience skill building experiences.

Learning to advocate and work with adults

Adolescents have always needed friends and meaningful social lives. Both are essential to young people’s mental and emotional health now and as they develop into adults. But with this generation, who must integrate the experience of COVID into their social development, the social road is often filled with challenges. Meanwhile, the worry of falling behind and keeping up academically is real. The consequence is often confusion and anxiety about how to support young people as they navigate their social lives, develop academic resilience, and maintain their mental health.

Topics covered:

An overview of understanding young people’s emotions and their social dynamics

Defining loyalty in friendships and other relationships

Establishing and maintaining boundaries as an invaluable part of any healthy relationship

Strategies to strengthen communication between adults and young people about relationships

Gen Z and the generation coming up gehind them feel that the world is so different now that it is impossible older people to relate to their experiences and challenges. At the same time, many people who work with, manage, or teach these younger generations feel that it is increasingly difficult and frustrating to reach young people. Attempts to understand their world are rebuffed and communicating with them can escalate into misunderstandings and disconnection.

We have to figure out another way to be in relationship with each other. For our children, for their education, their ability to contribute in our communities, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

So what do they want? What do we want? How do we support this younger generation to pursue their academic creative, or professional purpose while developing emotional and intellectual resilience, and supporting their mental health? What are the communication strategies that bridge the gap between generations? What truly motivates young people, and what makes them turn away from us? If they do turn away, how do we create opportunities to reconnect and build back our relationships?

Combining the latest brain and behavioral research with over twenty-five years of work with young people, Rosalind will answer these questions. She will show how to get beyond the stereotypes and expectations different generations have of each other and transform our interactions so can work and learn from each other in the best way possible.

While there is so much intention and effort to empower women in the workplace, we are missing an essential understanding of the challenges women still face: moving beyond the social conditioning we thought we left behind in our adolescence.

Without realizing why, we can struggle to advocate for ourselves or communicate assertively; we avoid necessary but difficult conversations because we fear coming across as mean and uncooperative. Until we acknowledge this deep rooted social conditioning, we will sabotage our best efforts to empower, mentor, and support each other. Work doesn’t have to be like middle school. We can change our patterns. We can increase our capacity and potential individually and in our professional partnerships.