Dana Brownlee

THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF MANAGING UP: SURVIVING THE “DIFFICULT BOSS”…AND THRIVING
A key to success for virtually everyone in the workplace is adopting a “managing up” mentality that focuses on how each of us can help our bosses (and other senior leaders) be successful – even if they’re not the “perfect boss”. This presentation defines “managing up” – what it is/isn’t, then explores proven techniques for managing up with a few common varieties of the “difficult boss”: The Tornado, The Clueless Chameleon, The Wishful Thinker, and The Micromanager

Let’s Talk About Systemic Racism, Unconscious Bias and Privilege
2020 was a year of racial reckoning for many workplaces, and that ushered in an era of new, uncomfortable conversations about race. While virtually all of us have the same goal racial equity we often have different perspectives based largely on our unique life experiences. In this session, we’ll tackle three key anti-racism concepts that are not just important to understand for anti-racism progress, but they’re also sensitive topics that are easily misconstrued. We’ll explore systemic racism and why it’s the bedrock of race-based discrimination today, and we’ll also demystify concepts like unconscious bias and privilege. If you’re thinking you can’t be biased because you have people of color in your family or you can’t have privilege because you worked your way through college, this session is for you!

SECRETS OF THE THOROUGHBRED LEADER
Most of us can dramatically improve our leadership abilities and become the leaders that teams love by rebalancing our task/relationship focus. This presentation explains why the “Thoroughbred Leader” is not only respected but embraced. We will share characteristics that define the “Thoroughbred Leader” and explain how their approach differs from other leadership styles.

FACILITATION SKILLS FOR THOSE TRICKY MEETING SITUATIONS
If you’re often flustered by difficult personalities in your meetings and not quite sure how to manage them effectively, this presentation is for YOU! Using these tips and techniques, you will not only benefit through increased productivity but also enhance your credibility with your team. Whether you are new to the workforce or a seasoned executive, these are the facilitation secrets you need to know!

NO MORE SLACKERS! BUILDING A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
This presentation explores the accountability dilemma and provides specific facilitation techniques that you can use to foster a culture of accountability within your team. Don’t let slackers drag down the productivity of your team. Learn some effective techniques to easily address that behavior and begin using them immediately!

10 WAYS TO PROMOTE RACIAL JUSTICE IN THE WORKPLACE
Many employees throughout the organizational hierarchy want to move beyond book clubs to start taking real action to combat racism in the workplace, and this presentation provides ten ways they can do just that! We’ll explore difficult questions that organizations and individuals should confront to determine how they can do more to advance anti-racism.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SECRETS TO ENHANCE YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Today's leaders are being asked to do more with less in increasingly challenging workplace environments, and the undeniable truth is that “project management” isn’t just for project managers. Virtually everyone will manage a project at some point in their career. Project managers are constantly tasked with simultaneously controlling time, cost, and quality while being challenged to motivate their cross-functional teams. Many of these project management principles can easily be applied to enhance leadership abilities as well. If you're a leader who is often frustrated by slacking team members, difficult projects to manage, and constant workplace miscommunications, this presentation is for you! You will leave with specific tips and techniques you can begin to use immediately to enhance your leadership abilities.

Participants will learn ...
• How to effectively handle the team slacker
• The benefits of using a project charter and scope analysis to help get stakeholders on the same page before the project begins
• The three magic questions of task assignment
• Best practices to enhance team communications
• Specific project management techniques that any leader can apply to enhance individual and team effectiveness
• The importance of conducting risk analysis early on

TACTICS FOR COURAGEOUS WORKPLACE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE
While courageous conversations about race may be necessary for organizational progress, they’re not always easy. There may be times when we feel the need to address offensive comments, unjust policies or questionable practices, but we just don’t know how to do it. We’ll explore eight specific techniques that anyone can use to address these uncomfortable situations with clarity and focus.

MOMPRENEURSHIP: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
For many moms entrepreneurship sounds perfect – trading the corporate jungle or the stay at home grind for a utopian balance of pilates in the morning and business calls in the afternoon (promptly ending at 3 to make carpool). But, the truth is that the reality often comes with twists and turns and more than a few lessons learned. We’ll explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of entrepreneurship based on Dana’s personal experience.