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KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS
" I have been working on this annual
conference for eight years.
In all that time, with 3 or 4 keynote presenters at each event,
there have only been three standing ovations...
they were all for you."
 That
kind comment was recently made to Denise by a
conference organizer. That feedback is supported by participants
- 96% or more who consistently rate Denise's Keynote
presentations as "Excellent".
If you are planning a conference and you want
participants to be not only empowered by the
content of your program; but also inspired to go
back to their lives and work with more purpose and enthusiasm,
you need to seriously consider the unique contribution that
Denise can make to your event.
Complementary to her keynote addresses,
Denise can also follow up with one or more
Concurrent Sessions
(conference workshops)
on these and related topics.
The following summaries are samples of
popular Keynote presentations that Denise has delivered. They
can all be tailored to the needs of your organization:
Beyond Barriers to
Passion and Possibility
Beyond Traditional Job Development
Cultivating the Spirit to Work
Cultivating True Livelihood
Celebrating Our Gifts -
Being True to the Dream of Diversity
Rekindle the Flame -
Renewing Purpose and Passion in Work
Retention and Beyond
Also See
Concurrent Sessions
Customer Feedback/Comments
Beyond Barriers to Passion
and Possibility
Imagine the difference in working
with a person who is asking, “What does this program have to offer me
given all of my problems and challenges?” to working with someone
engaged in the question “What do I have to offer the world and how do I
go about finding the best place to utilize my strengths and gifts?” In
this thought-provoking and inspiring keynote, Denise will inspire us to
change our focus from “barrier removal” to “igniting the spirit” and
assist individuals to move towards their potential rather than
away from their problems and challenges. In her characteristic
manner, Denise will weave poetry, parables and real life stories in a
way that brings home key learning points that will change the way we see
the individuals we serve as well as the person in the mirror!
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Beyond Traditional Job
Development
This
dynamic keynote presentation presents a blueprint for employment
professionals who desire poetic license to practice the
Nicaraguan saying, “Do not go where the road leads. Rather,
follow your own path and leave a trail.” In a one- three hour
plenary session, Denise offers a practical, innovative and
proactive approach to job development and challenges the job
developer to look beyond traditional methods for achieving
placement results. Delivered with numerous real-life examples,
this workshop is as inspiring and mind-opening as it is relevant
and timely to the needs of today’s employment professional.
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Celebrating Our Gifts - Being True to the Dream of Diversity
This powerful and
thought-provoking keynote presentation is designed to affirm and
celebrate the values, gifts and purposes that each of us uniquely bring
to the table, inspiring us to renew our commitment to bring out the best
in the ourselves and in one another. In her own distinctive style,
Denise will blend poetry, parables, and practical applications to
inspire new ways of viewing and appreciating the “individual genius”
that lies at the core of every person in the workplace. Bringing the
discussion to the collective level, she will also present key skills,
qualities and practices which can further invoke and sustain a truly
“inclusive” work environment which invites, affirms and celebrates the
gifts of a work team and every person on it!
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Cultivating the Spirit to
Work
In this dynamic presentation,
Denise Bissonnette will present a unique and inspiring framework
around the critical and often elusive issues of motivation,
self-esteem, and the challenges of transition as they relate to
preparing people for the work of the world. This compelling
keynote enlightens and equips the employment professional to
strengthen an individual’s spirit to work.
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Cultivating
True Livelihood
Work in the 21st Century
This timely
session informs and enlightens the employment professional on
the new work world realities facing job seekers today as they
work to cultivate opportunities for their livelihood.
Ms. Bissonnette presents ideas and strategies to meet the
realities of the 21st century workplace with
optimism, hope and fresh possibilities for developing new
relationships with the business community.
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Rekindle the Flame
Renewing Purpose and Passion in
Work
Inspired by her newest publication,
The Wholehearted
Journey: Bringing Qualities of Soul to Everyday Life and Work, Denise Bissonnette offers yet
another dynamic, inspiring and life altering experience!
Designed to re-ignite the power, passion and purpose which
originally drew people to their work, this keynote presentation
intertwines poetry, parables, and practical applications to put
soul back into the everyday realities of life on the
job. With warmth, humility and humor, Denise delivers ideas and
insights from the world’s great wisdom traditions in a way that
is easy to understand, process and apply to the 21st
century workplace. It is said that the coal that has been an
ember is easily kindled. This keynote provides the gentle but
deliberate breath that can set the fire within the heart and
spirit of the working person aglow.
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Retention
and Beyond
Helping the New Employee to Shine
Drawing on her inspiring book, “30 Ways
to Shine as a New Employee”, Denise shares the essentials of
fostering and inviting the best of the new employee in a diverse
and changing workplace. Denise brings passion and purpose to
the practical applications offered in this unique and compelling
keynote presentation.
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Concurrent Sessions/Workshops
Consider how one or more of the following
topics might also add value to your Conference program:
Diversity as an Asset
Capitalizing on
Individual Strengths
This powerful keynote
presentation serves to redefine “diversity” as an opportunity to
be celebrated rather than as a challenge to be managed. Based
on solid leadership principles and practical strategies drawn
from experience working with people from diverse populations,
Denise enlightens and equips managers and supervisors to
re-direct their thinking and their efforts towards developing an
inclusive workplace which invites and benefits from the
potential and capabilities of their already diverse workforce!
Client Empowerment
Through Activity-Based Placement
This lively session
introduces the concept of activity-based placement as a means
for improving placement results and increasing the job seekers’
self-esteem, motivation and participation in their own
employment process. The ideas presented in this workshop will
increase staff effectiveness in their role as managers of the
client’s placement process.
Creating an Inclusive Workplace:
Being True to the Dream of Diversity
This
powerful and thought-provoking workshop redefines “diversity” as an
opportunity to be celebrated rather than as a challenge to be managed.
Based on solid leadership principles and practical strategies drawn from
experience working with people from diverse populations, Denise
enlightens and equips managers, supervisors and employees to re-direct
their thinking and their efforts towards developing an inclusive
workplace which invites and benefits from the potential and capabilities
of their already diverse workforce! Utilizing interactive exercises,
compelling self-assessments, and innovative workplace tools, Denise
provides a lively and dynamic in-service training which promotes the
valuing of diversity and creating inclusiveness, renews community spirit
within teams and across departments within an organization, and inspires
individual excellence. Topics include:
-
Viewing diversity as an
asset;
-
Minding one’s mind with
regard to perceptions and assumptions about others
-
Refusing the masquerade –
recognizing the roles we play and cast others into;
-
Continually revisiting ‘the
authenticity factor’;
-
Using respectful, valuing
language;
-
Being attentive to
differences in work style and motivation within teams and across
departments;
-
Celebrating each person’s
unique gifts and ‘individual genius’;
-
Cultivating the gift of deep
listening;
-
Becoming aware of the dangers
of empathy; and,
-
Committing to open
communication (even when it’s difficult).
Cultivating the Spirit to Work
Through Whole-Person Assessment
This highly
participative workshop presents hands-on tools and techniques
for pulling up a chair for the person inside
applicant at the job placement table. Ms. Bissonnette will
share tools from her newest publication, “Cultivating True
Livelihood” for your use with applicants.
Developing Partnerships with
Employers:
Escaping the "Sales" Paradigm
This
thought-provoking workshop challenges us to redefine and expand
the nature of our relationships with employers. In this
workshop, Denise will introduce us to the “partnership paradigm”
and the simple, yet compelling, principles distinguishing it
from the more typical “sales paradigm.” This one and one-half
hour presentation promises to leave you with new strategies, an
altered attitude, and great cold-calling tips!
Resolving Employer Concerns
About Hiring People with Barriers (Disabilities)
This compelling
session offers practical strategies for uncovering and resolving
the concerns that employers have about hiring people with
disabilities and other barriers to employment. This workshop is
an absolute must for those working with high-risk
populations or people for whom employers hold negative
stereotypes.
Essential
Guidelines in Marketing
Making Effective Presentations to Employers
This fast-paced
session presents sure-fire guidelines for making effective and
compelling marketing presentations to employers. Denise will
offer numerous tips on how to use “language as an art, with as
much respect and precision as we would any other tool.” The
ideas presented can be applied to marketing strategies used in
person, in writing or on the telephone.
Employer Assessment
The Critical Piece in the Relationship Puzzle
It is said that you
know a person by their questions, not by their answers. What
would happen if we applied what we know about applicant
assessment to employers? For starters, they could teach us what
we need to know to serve them best and we could earn their
respect and credibility in the process. Attend this workshop for a list
of key employer assessment questions and tips on using the
answers to your best advantage in the placement process.
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Customer Feedback/Comments
"Denise has
presented several times at The National Consultation on Career
Development (NATCON), an annual conference which draws over 1400
delegates, and is consistently rated as 'excellent' on the
conference evaluations. Delegate comments include ('Most amazing
motivational speaker I have ever seen!' ' Exceptional,
excellent, enthusiastic, exciting, vibrant, energetic!'). I can
always be confident that she will know her audience, understand
their issues and deliver a session that has that rare
combination of substance and inspiration. She is truly gifted
and committed to her work."
Lou Hawkes
Coordinator,
NATCON
"Having seen
Denise speak before, my expectations were high. She exceeded my
wildest expectations in her keynote address in San Diego. I have
been putting on counseling and human service conferences and
workshops for almost 30 years and and can say that Denise ranks
in the top 1 % of presenters. She is both smooth and
spontaneous; entertaining and connecting; motivating and calming
- all at the same time."
Dick Knowdell
Executive Director
Career Planning & Adult Development Network
(Email Dick for
additional feedback)
"It
was a great honor and pleasure to have you as the keynote
speaker at Women’s Conference 2003 at Saddleback College. You
were refreshing, inspirational, uplifting, charming, and honest.
Your outstanding presentation delivered a clear message in a
very unique way. You captivated the audience and everybody
benefited from your message. I have received a lot of credit for
choosing you to speak, and so many people thanked me for having
you on our program and your excellent presentation. I will
highly recommend you to any organization as the keynote speaker.
Denise, you are special. I truly look forward to seeing you
again."
Sholeh Alizadeh, Ph.D.
Re-Entry & Women’s Center, Director
Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA
"Denise, your generosity
and wisdom were key to the conference. Dozens of participants
said that your presentation was the best they have ever seen at
this conference. These same sentiments were also written over
and over again in the conference evaluations. Your keynote set
the tome for a very successful conference."
Anonymous Conference Organizer
“Denise's
presentations were a huge success and were what made our
conference such a success! The ongoing evaluations from
delegates have been raving about the power and insight of
Denise and how wonderful and empowered they now feel after
having been in her presence!”
Denise
Lloyd
Director of Membership Services
ASPECT, BC
"I was
absolutely bowled over by Denise Bissonnette's energy and presentation
savvy!"
Lee Weisser
Program Manager
Ontario Society for Training & Development
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