Lead the People

Geoffrey leverages a diverse 25+ year career in Human Capital Management, specializing in employee engagement, leadership development, and culture change initiatives in the workplace. His journey has ranged from working for the corporate industry leader, to building his own entrepreneurial start-up from the ground up. Currently he supports innovative employee/patient/caregiver/human experience leaders, nurse and clinician entrepreneurs, and hospital administration, consulting them on and modernizing people and talent activation strategies to make a true impact on those that both provide and receive care. Geoffrey also hosts the Mo-ments of Experience podcast on the People Forward Network. Top 3 Takeaways Business is personal. Geoffrey's experience with his wife's cancer treatment revealed how every employee interaction, from nurses to food service workers, impacts patient care. Your business is no different. The time is now. Healthcare systems often treat employee engagement as an annual event rather than a dynamic, team-based process. Your feedback systems need to match your operating reality. People treat patients. While healthcare leads in clinical innovation, it lags decades behind in people strategy. The combination of administrative burdens, broken systems, and staffing challenges disconnects caregivers from their original healing purpose. Don’t let this happen to you. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "Employee engagement in some industries could be considered a buzzword, but in healthcare, it's a necessity for optimal patient outcomes." "Healthcare is at the forefront of clinical innovation yet lags 30 years behind the private sector in people strategy." "I just teach everyone to lead with compassion. It's that simple and everyone buys in and everyone feels like they have their back." "There's two sides to care as a doctor. There's the science but the most important part is the art. The art is being human." "The healthcare system was never designed. It just evolved. And as a 24/7, 365 business, it's hard to change the tires on a moving bus." Connect with Geoffrey Website: https://www.mo-mentsofexperience.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreypsmith 

Liz Corcoran leads Impact Performance Group’s research and design team, providing custom leadership, sales, and service solutions that enable organizations to deepen client relationships and ignite employee engagement. Liz significantly impacts employee well-being and performance by applying expertise in emotional intelligence, appreciative inquiry, and positive organizational scholarship. Liz is an ICF-certified coach, holds a Bachelor of Science from Boston College, a Master of Business Administration from New York University, and a Master in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She works with the International Positive Psychology Association and resides with her husband and three children in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Top 3 Takeaways Frame it up. The PERMA framework (Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment) provides a roadmap for workplace wellbeing as relationships are the most predictive factor of employee health and retention. Meet the moment. Leaders can combat workplace loneliness and boost engagement by creating intentional moments for connection and by encouraging team members to leverage complementary strengths. Look again. Finding meaning at work is possible in any role by reframing tasks in terms of their impact on others and aligning work with personal values. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "Every day I'm dealing with someone's special moment.. I'm making memories with these people. The way I make it joyful for them and comfortable for them and meaningful so they could celebrate." "Positive emotions allow us to broaden our view and build resources for resilience.When we're having more fun or we bring our best self, we're more creative." "We want to bring our authentic self to work.One way to do this is to get to know others and let them get to know you. And so these micro moments, we capitalize on those." Connect with Liz Website: http://www.impactpg.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-corcoran-105a575/ 

Transformational Life Coach Anissa Zabriskie is an Amazon International Bestselling author, speaker, and certified career and business Coach. Anissa uses her experience working in Fortune 50 companies as a Human Resources Executive to bring encouragement, education and love to empower others to reinvent themselves and define their ultimate mission in life and business so that they can live amazing lives and leave their unique and positive mark on the world. She knows that no matter where you come from, or what you’ve been through, You Can Always Begin Again! Top 3 Takeaways Size matters. Large companies offer advantages like brand recognition, robust benefits, and extensive networking opportunities, but require specific strategies to avoid employee isolation. All together now. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and buddy systems help large organizations create community and prevent workers from feeling lost among thousands of colleagues. Freshen up. Career reinvention often stems from burnout or stagnation, requiring both personal reflection and practical steps like updating resumes and practicing interview skills. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "I just felt like I was losing my professional identity... profoundly something has got to change." "As a coach, your role is to ask probing questions to help your clients resolve the situation themselves." "Many times if you've been on a job for 10 plus years, you have not interviewed for another position... you just want to make sure they understand or have a good foundation for interviewing." Connect with Anissa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anissaz Sparking Transformation: 1000 Conversation Starters for Life Coaches (book): https://a.co/d/c2mXcKF 

Amy Bayer is the Global Director of DE&I, Engagement, and Culture at Duck Creek Technologies. In this role, she leads strategic efforts to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace while promoting a culture of belonging. Amy’s experience spans nearly 20 years across multiple industries, including technology, publishing, manufacturing, and healthcare. Prior to this role, she held key HR positions, including HR Business Partner at Duck Creek Technologies and HR Manager at McGraw-Hill Companies. Amy’s work focuses on empowering employees through grassroots initiatives, driving meaningful change, and fostering leadership from within. Top 3 Takeaways Go all in. Successful company culture requires intentional leadership engagement, from CEO participation to employee-led initiatives like ERGs and cultural ambassador programs. Do remote right. During remote/hybrid work transitions, structured onboarding and deliberate relationship building become critical for employee engagement and retention. Take the chance. Taking career risks and overcoming self-doubt requires courage and self-affirmation, but can lead to significant professional growth and fulfillment. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "I've never worked at a company where I've seen such engagement in the survey... because of that, I feel like we have to honor that and respect it." "I got the courage. It wasn't ever that I lacked the confidence. I think it was just really the way that I was viewing my own self and speaking to myself." "It's not always the words that he says, it's his actions... when things get hard, he doesn't back away from these kinds of activities that we're doing." "I made some of the closest relationships during that time... the building of trust and relationships, it is possible." Connect with Amy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-bayer-812ba8104 Duck Creek Technologies: http://www.duckcreek.com 

Stefanie Adams is a keynote speaker, training facilitator, adjunct university instructor, former elected official, wife, and mother; for those who know her best, she is "Cheerleader Stef", which personifies her personality and leadership style. She has over 20 years experience leading and training in corporate, non-profit, and government settings. In 2024, she added author to the resume, publishing her first book, CheerLEADERship: Strategies to Build and Support Human-Centric Workplaces for the Future. She earned an M.Ed. in Multicultural Education in 2008. Stefanie has worked as an organizational consultant for Johns Hopkins University School of Education (Baltimore, MD), served as Director of Customized Training for Cape Fear Community College (Wilmington, NC), and more recently, she led the corporate training function for CastleBranch (Wilmington, NC). In early 2020, Stefanie founded WNY People Development. In her role as Chief Empowerment Officer, she provides leadership training, coaching, and keynote presentations to grow the next generation of leaders. Her main areas of expertise are building high impact teams, first time/front line manager development, women in leadership, and engaging multigenerational workforces with a focus on millennial and Gen Z employees. Since company launch, she has developed and facilitated leadership solutions for clients in various industries including construction, healthcare, higher education, hospitality, human resources, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, public service, real estate, and non-profit management. Her professional affiliations include SHRM and the Lower Cape Fear Human Resource Association. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern NC, and she was nominated as a YWCA Woman of Achievement in 2022 for her service as School Board Chair during the Covid pandemic. Top 3 Takeaways Mix it up. Successful teams require diverse working styles that complement each other, just as cheerleading squads need different positions to function effectively. Trust counts. Building trust through genuine connection and understanding team members' personal motivations is essential for creating high-performing teams in today's workplace. Dial it in. Leaders must calibrate challenges based on individual team members' goals and current circumstances, similar to how cheer coaches adjust practice intensity based on their team's situation. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "In cheerleading you only can succeed together because it is the only sport where you physically build on each other. And that's what work is today. It is all team-based." "You cannot build trust on a team until you know somebody. And if we don't know somebody, I'm not gonna want to work with you. I'm not gonna feel safe to ask you for feedback or to give you feedback." "If you're challenging someone and providing them with information that's going to help them be better at their job and you're doing it by keeping their integrity at the heart of your message...you've done your job." "If we celebrate the small, small wins, if we highlight those small wins, that is going to remind us, let's keep doing this...Happy people are engaged workers." "Cheerleadership is not about toxic positivity. It's about recognizing what we're capable of and working towards it as a team." Connect with Stefanie CheerLEADERship (book): https://a.co/d/eTYuKPy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefaniezadams Website: https://wnypeopledevelopment.com 

Traci Austin, is a certified coach and HR professional with over two decades of experience bridging the gap between the C-suite and HR leaders in aligning the business strategy to the business results. She is focused on partnering with leaders at all levels to create fulfilling work. This is done by focusing on 4 levers of engagement: Fit to role, Leadership, Team and Cultural alignment to the strategies and core values to meet the business outcomes. Traci uses her coaching, consulting and training expertise to serve organizations through the Leadership Development Program, Team Retention Program and group coaching for HR professionals. She is a highly sought after expert on these topics. She hosts a weekly podcast titled, The People Strategy Podcast with Traci Austin and has been distributed to thousands of HR professionals and business leaders across the globe. She is the Chief Strategy Consultant and owner of Elevated Talent Consulting, a certified women owned business, that partners with leaders in the mid-level manager roles and HR professionals to bridge the gap with both their team and the executive team in exceeding performance expectations while being fulfilled in their work. Top 3 Takeaways Clear is kind. Clear communication of outcomes and priorities is essential for accountability. Leaders should verify alignment with team members on priorities and document meeting outcomes with specific action items and deadlines. Reframe the pain. Complaints are actually unnamed requests. Effective leaders respond with curiosity rather than solutions, which helps team members identify and articulate what they really need. Lead don’t solve. Developing others requires leaders to resist solving problems themselves. Instead, we should use questions to guide our team members through problem-solving so they can build these skills for themselves. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "Every complaint truly is just an unnamed request." "So often there's fear in that. So we don't say anything and we keep going in this cycle, which increases stress and that increases burnout and frustration 'cause we're not hitting our goals." "We can't effectively hold somebody accountable if we aren't in agreement on what we're holding them accountable for." "If you find yourself holding back and not wanting to enroll someone and uplevel them in a specific area, I think it's really important to ask yourself, ‘Why don't I want to give up this piece?’" Connect with Traci LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traci-austin The People Strategy podcast: https://elevatedtalentconsulting.com/podcast-2 Leadership Development program: https://elevatedtalentconsulting.com/leadership-development

Dr. Alise Cortez is the Chief Ignition Officer at Gusto, Now!, a human and organizational transformation consultancy specializing in unleashing business results by igniting and growing high-performance teams passionate about delivering on the organizational mission. The resulting rewards? Higher engagement, performance, innovation, retention, customer delight, and thus profitability. Dr. Alise is also an organizational psychologist and logotherapist, inspirational speaker, researcher, author, and host of the Working on Purpose podcast, and she is bent on awakening people and organizations to their passion and purpose and inspiring them to make a contribution worthy of their one, precious life. Top 3 Takeaways Do the math. Inspired workers are 225% more productive than merely satisfied workers. This means it’s crucial for businesses to focus on inspiring—not just satisfying—employees. All for one. Every generation brings value to workplace culture. From Boomers' dedication to Gen Z's purpose-driven approach, we each advance how we can work best together. One for all. Companies that prioritize all stakeholders—employees, customers, community, and environment—rather than only shareholders create stronger, more sustainable and more responsible businesses. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "Meaning is our source of fuel... our purpose is really that overarching, compelling directive force that tells us where to put those energies and efforts." "I believe every generation just advances and makes us better... every generation has added to that... that makes us a better version of our species." "If the productivity level of a satisfied worker [is] a level of 100, then... the engaged worker is actually at a level of 144. The inspired worker [is] 225. So it takes two and a quarter of the satisfied people to make one inspired person." "When all of your stakeholders are really firing on the same level, they're really cued into and they buy into your purpose... now you're really cooking with gas." "People became so much more conscious of ‘what did they want’ from their life and their work because for... many of them, the first time in their whole entire lives, they were forced to stop." "I think that increasingly... there is a higher consciousness that people do expect... that we will do our very, very best with and through business. And that means that we treat all of our stakeholders well." Connect with Alise Website: https://alisecortez.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisecortez

As Bonusly's Chief Customer Officer, Debra combines her passion for an exceptional customer experience with her drive to empower companies to connect, motivate, and engage their employees to build winning workplaces. Prior to Bonusly, Debra was the VP of CS at Beamery and the Chief Client Officer at Namely, to name a few. She has over 25 years of experience in senior leadership roles in Human Resources ranging from in-house HR leadership to HR Consulting, Outsourcing, Client Services, and Customer Success working directly with HR teams across a variety of industries. She currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas with her husband. Top 3 Takeaways Dial it in. Recognition needs to go beyond generic praise to be specific and meaningful. It should connect individual contributions to company values and business outcomes. Make the connection. In remote work environments in particular, leaders must create opportunities for connection and recognition. There are no hallway conversations online. Frequency counts. Career development should happen in the flow of work through regular coaching conversations and recognition. Aim for a weekly basis if not even more frequent. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "You have to reimagine the traditional top down recognition and rewards as a system that creates culture, a culture of positive recognition and influences the right business outcomes. So moving from just feel good to feel good and do good." "There's a real connectivity to helping the business achieve its objectives by helping people feel valued and recognized for the great work that they're doing." "When we shifted overnight to remote work for everyone... we lost a sense of connectedness and the ability to build real relationships in the workplace... we have to reimagine how we gather around the proverbial water cooler." "Every generation that comes into the workplace gets this pushback on their expectations... but really the greatest value that each generation brings is that they push the envelope. They take what the prior generation did, and they push it further because they see a different possibility." "Generic recognition, like 'great job,' or 'thanks for holding the door open' doesn't cut it. People see right through that... You have to be specific. You need to take the time to say something meaningful about what they did or how they did it." "Recognition and catching people at their best, whether it's living the values or achieving great outcomes is one half of the career development equation... The other piece of it is constructive feedback." "We've made career development this big thing over there that we have to stop everything else to do... That's not how the world works. We move much faster than that. If you're not looking at this on a weekly basis as part of your normal rhythm of how you engage with your team members, then you're missing out on the real opportunity there." Connect with Debra Website: https://www.bonusly.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debrasquyres

As CEO, Geng leads a team of passionate change leaders to deliver software for nonprofit organizations that empowers them and their volunteers to more easily serve their communities. Prior to Civic Champs, Geng co-founded and sold two companies which were both based in Pittsburgh! The first, RentJungle.com was an apartment search engine and the second, Community Elf, was a social media management agency. Geng is also a former McKinsey & Company consultant and a graduate of Michigan State University and Harvard Business School. Top 3 Takeaways Shift Value. Social impact companies can attract talent at a 30% discount to market salaries since employees are willing to earn less to work for a mission they believe in. Line it Up. Unlike traditional businesses where growth and impact may diverge, Civic Champs' business model creates direct alignment - as they grow revenue by serving more nonprofits, their social impact automatically increases. Open the Door. While all generations value social impact, Gen Z is more likely to actively push for change and make career decisions based on their values compared to millennials, for example, who may have felt constrained by economic conditions. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "You can't have impact if you have no money." "You get about a 30% discount... because people are just more willing to work with you because they say, 'Hey, you know, even if it doesn't pay as much, I still want to come here because it does a thing that I really believe in.'" "People aren't dumb. They're not going to buy things that aren't helping them... our ability to charge and to have nonprofits pay right shows that we're actually creating value for them... The bigger we grow, the more impact we have." "As you get older... having some sort of social impact becomes more and more important... when you have a business that is not as perhaps invested in just social impact, it can be less motivating at times, especially when the times are hard." "If you ask the nonprofits... they would feel an obligation [to operate efficiently] too, because when donors give you money... there's sort of an obligation... that you're entrusted with to make the most out of those dollars." "Millennials and Gen Z share very common values. But the main difference is that Gen Z acts on those values a bit more... they're pushing their employers to sort of align to their values." Connect with Geng Website: http://www.civicchamps.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gengwang  

Tom Riggs, CEO of MindWire and a seasoned expert in HR and operations, dives into the art of delegation. He reveals why many leaders struggle to let go, discussing the costs of micromanagement and the benefits of empowering teams. Tom shares tactics to effectively delegate by leveraging people-and-work mapping, ensuring tasks align with team strengths. His practical insights can save leaders several hours a week, allowing them to focus on strategic growth. Ultimately, he emphasizes that true leadership means making time for others and stepping up to higher-level responsibilities.