Join animal welfare leaders from across Canada in this half day of inspiration, connection and exploration into the challenges facing leaders in our sector today as we navigate through an uncertain economy while tackling leadership burnout. Following on the heels of an exhausting pandemic we are now faced with rising inflation and the challenges of retention.  This workshop will give you the opportunity to connect with your peers to share experiences while you prepare to master the skills needed to keep leading with intention, with an added boost of resilience! 
 
8:30 – 9:30 am: Introduction and Connections - Barb Cartwright and Liza Sunley 
9:00 – 11:15 am: Workshop: How Nature Designs for Renewal, Dr. Anne-Marie Daniel and Iain Duncan (see full description below
11:15 – 12:00 pm Workshop: Solutioning the Challenges of the Next 3 Years  
 
Workshop: How Nature Designs for Renewal, Roy Group and NatuR&D  

As the leader of an organization, you are highly aware that the workplace you lead is on the hook for the well-being of the team. The paradox is that this added pressure is very likely straining your own well-being. What if we could find a way to organize our work in a way that creates greater vitality for ourselves and the teams we lead? In How Nature Designs for Renewal, we will dive into the often tough reality of teams that are confronting overload and burnout with the goal of coming away with some new mental models and tools to help ourselves and our teams organize for increased vitality.

In this 2-hour workshop, we will draw on the design principles of biomimicry to explore examples of renewal in Nature, with an explicit focus on how nature leverages cycles for self-renewal. We will then apply the patterns we find in that exploration to intentionally design our response to challenges like burnout, reduced morale and overwhelm. We will draw relationships between these topics and Nature’s keen sense of timing and ability to adapt to changing conditions. Using current examples in a confidential setting, participants will be taken through a series of questions and exercises to explore Nature’s design principles and apply them to their own personal leadership practice.

During this 2-hour workshop, you will:  

  1. Clearly identify signs of stress and of productive well-being in your work.  
  2. Reflect on your current work rituals, determining which provide value or not.  
  3. Increase your capacity to adapt to changing conditions.  
  4. Find new opportunities to respond to burnout & overwhelm.  
  5. Create a plan that gives rhythm to the work week highlighting places for pause and renewal. 
  6. Apply Nature's design principles to your leadership and your organization.