Dr. Louise Lambert

You don’t need to be a genius or have a PhD to know that people struggle at work and leave jobs not always because of work itself, but because of other people. From managers to employees, most people are great and we love working with them, but others… not so much! Workplace incivilities, often tolerated out of politeness, fear, indifference, or the hope that bad behavior will disappear, are costly for organizations. They also make life miserable, erode workplace wellbeing and negatively influence careers. In this morning session, we explore the nature of workplace incivilities, their costs, why relationships in fact matter, and concrete things you can do about them.

This may come as no surprise to anyone, but lawyers are one of the most stressed occupational groups, working long hours on time sensitive highly complex cases, which demand being “on” at all hours of the day and night. This professional excellence, while successful and meaningful, nonetheless takes a toll on quality of life. And it’s also one that is rarely talked about. In this session, we invite you to take stock of your wellbeing and explore how sustainable this current lifestyle really is. The goal is not to “work less” per se; but to begin a dialogue around how the costs associated with high levels of workplace excellence can be reduced and how life can be enjoyed more fully. You’ll leave with a rather dramatic understanding of how short life is and consider “1 small thing” you can schedule and implement weekly to improve your own quality of life.

The role of managers has changed; you are likely to feel more like a business coach, advocate, mental health expert, and talent scout. Today’s role involves more support and less directing, a focus on strengths over weakness, cheering and less indifference, as well as greater trust and personal connection. Like many things in life, what you say and do matters. And this requires new skills: your ability to model wellbeing and lead others to it.